I've Found Myself in Wonderland
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: After Underland, Alice left England for China, never to return. However, the White Queen doesn't know that. What happens when an invitation to Alice Kingsley is found by Alice Cunningham, her descendant, 100 years later? NO Hatter-Alice, BUT Hatter/OC
1. A Family Legacy

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: Okay, I'm giving in to the phenomenon and writing an _**Alice**_ story. This is going to be sort of a "test chapter," and if everyone likes it, I'll continue. Oh, and it's movie-based, just so you know. Please be kind by leaving a review to let me know what you think, and if I should go on. Thanks.

**Chapter 1: A Family Legacy:**

The White Rabbit looked at the envelope in his paws. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Majesty?" he asked, twitching his pink nose.

Perched daintily on her throne, the White Queen nodded. "After all she has done for us, it is the least we can do. Besides, it would be good for her to visit when there is nothing for her to fear or fight, and there are many who wish to thank her."

'_Not to mention there are many who both wish to see her, and yet never see her again_,' the Rabbit thought, though he dared not voice it.

"And under no circumstances are you to open the envelope," the Queen ordered, her soft voice gentle, but firm. "It is for Alice's eyes only."

The Rabbit nodded. "Will we need more of the potions, Majesty, as we did before?"

Queen Mirana shook her head, white locks swaying beautifully and gently with her movements. "No, that will not be necessary this time. In this instance, I've taken certain precautions. Now, go and deliver the message to Alice, my dear Rabbit, and we shall prepare for her return."

* * *

Finding Alice this time was proving far more difficult than before. At least he knew what she looked like now, but still, trailing the young girl wasn't easy. It had taken days of listening in at open doors to find out that the mansion he had found Alice at before had merely been a place she'd been visiting. Lucky for him, a messenger from that house had been dispatched with a note for Alice's mother, and the White Rabbit was quick to follow the man to the home of Mrs. Kingsley.

Looking up at Alice's home, the Rabbit shook his head. It was a large house made of grey stone, and was remarkably dreary. How such a place could shelter a colorful spirit like Alice was a puzzle. It did not help at all that the servants all looked as bleak and inapproachable as the stone walls, either.

Of course, Rabbit couldn't simply hand the White Queen's message to one of these servants; the animals in the Above World could not speak, and a talking White Rabbit would alarm the humans here. So he settled down in a nice hovel to wait for when he could see Alice and speak to her alone.

Days went by, and still there was no sign of Alice. Many times the Rabbit saw an older woman who had to be her mother, as well as another who was likely her sister, but not once did he see Alice anywhere near the house. Perhaps she was ill, or maybe away for a short while, but he had to wait and be sure.

Finally, after two weeks of shivering in the cold and wet, the Rabbit had had enough. If he slipped the Queen's message under the front door, it would surely be put into Alice's hands…wouldn't it? And the Queen would understand; she could not have wanted her messenger to stay and watch the house for who-knows-how-long.

'_Besides, it's not urgent, or the Queen would have said so_,' he reasoned.

He waited until late afternoon, when everyone was busy with their tea. Unseen and unheard, the Rabbit approached the front door and slipped the White Queen's envelope underneath. His mission completed, he raced back to his rabbit hole, knowing that the Queen would want a report about this.

* * *

"Sir, it's a message for Miss Alice," the quivering maid informed the butler. "Someone slipped it under the front door this afternoon. Should I take it to the Missus?"

The butler sniffed in distain. "No indeed," he said. "It cannot be important for someone to leave it under the door. Just toss it away."

"It'd serve her right for not getting that letter," the head housekeeper replied, glaring at the maid as though it were her fault. "Running off to China like that instead of marrying a lord! I've never heard of such a thing! Take that paper away this instant, there's no use in disturbing the mistress with that!"

Running off, the maid decided to go against their orders. Miss Alice had always been kind to her, and the least she could do is make sure that the note was kept safe for her until she returned. There were a few trunks laying about her old bedroom; surely the envelope would be safe in one of them?

* * *

**Modern Day England**:

"Laura, come _on_!" Ali whined. "We don't have to do this today. We've got all summer!"

Rolling my eyes, I pulled the dust sheet until it landed in a heap on the floor. "Hey, this was _your_ brilliant idea," I retorted. "Your parents let us stay here, rent-free, for the summer, and all we have to do is clean the attic. They even have someone coming out here to restock the fridge on a weekly basis, so the least we can do is get this over with."

Sighing, Ali sat on the floor by the large dust sheet and glared at the old trunk. "Fine. But I don't see why _we_ have to do this. I mean, they can just hire someone to toss all of this old junk out."

I stared at her friend, horrified. I loved antiques, and was secretly hoping that Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham would let me keep some of the things we found in the attic.

'_Really, the two of us couldn't be more different_,' I thought, shaking my head as Ali began fumbling with the old lock on the trunk.

Ali was tall and thin, with long, wavy blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. She came from a _very_ rich English family that could be traced far beyond the Victorian Era, and had been my friend and roommate in college back in America. Her only problems: Ali craved attention (think unaffectionate childhood), and a slight quick temper that tended to get her into trouble.

I was her polar opposite: middle-class American, short, curvy, and with chocolate-colored hair and eyes. I was the mild-mannered force that put down Ali's temper tantrums (which could be pretty explosive). An "old soul" at heart, I loved books, antiques, and had always dreamed of staying in an English mansion in the countryside. Like me, Ali liked books, but she was English-born, so she was used to houses full of stuff that was older than America's original thirteen colonies.

Today was going to be a dream for me; for her, it'd be a nightmare.

A loud noise pulled my attention back to my friend, who looked embarrassed as she held up the lock from the trunk. "It fell off," she said, setting it aside. "Come on; let's see if there are any weird family secrets to be had in here!"

The two of us lifted the trunk's lid and began rummaging around the valuables we found there. We found a few books, several dresses that probably belonged to a young lady, two marvelous wooden hair brushes, and a number of personal keepsakes, all appearing to be from the Victorian Era. I couldn't help but admire a pale blue gown with black designs embroidered around the hems.

"Hey, there's a name on the trunk," Ali said, wiping a bit of dust away. "Oh, gosh, no way."

I looked. "Alice Kingsley," I read aloud. "Isn't that your ancestor? The one who went to China and the one you're named after?"

Ali rolled her eyes. "Yes," she said, unenthusiastically.

Really, I couldn't understand why Ali (born Alice Elizabeth Cunningham) would be embarrassed by her family history. Apparently the whole _**Alice in Wonderland**_ book was about Ali's ancestor, whom Lewis Carroll had met and written about over a century-and-a-half ago. Alice had told the whole made-up story to Mr. Carroll, but in order to hide the identity of who Alice really was, Carroll had been asked to lie to the press and claim it was about an Alice Liddell, whom he'd been friends with at that time. Meanwhile, Alice Kingsley had sailed off for China, leaving behind a rather scandalized family, all of whom thought it mad that a woman would travel the world and do whatever she wanted. That Alice had founded an extremely profitable trading post that still existed in Hong Kong, and which had been passed down to Ali's father, Mr. Cunningham.

'_I wish my family history was that exciting_,' I wistfully thought.

"I can't believe they kept her old stuff," Ali muttered, pulling out a book. "I mean, the woman died over a hundred years ago!"

"Family pride," I said. "If she'd been my ancestor, I know _I'd_ love to keep her things around."

"Yeah, well, if they want to keep it, they could at least take it out of the trunk," Ali retorted, tossing the book to me. "I know the stuff she took with her now resides in a museum in London. This might just join them there."

Quickly bored with the contents, Ali headed over to the next trunk, also marked with Alice Kingsley's name. As she searched through that one, I shut the lid on the trunk before me and examined the outside of it.

"That's strange," I muttered, running my hands over the old wood and rusting metal.

"What?" Ali called back.

"I said it's strange," I replied louder, eyes not leaving the trunk. "There's nothing on the outside of this trunk indicating that it was sent to China, or shipped back to England after Alice Kingsley died. No travel stickers, shipping tags or anything. I don't think this trunk left the house when she traveled for China."

_That_ caught Ali's attention. "Are you serious? Why wouldn't her family send her clothes and stuff with her, especially since they couldn't know if she'd come back to England? Her grandkids came back to English soil, but not her, so she must have told her mom she was staying in the Far East. Why didn't her family care enough to ship her belongings with her, or even after she left?"

I opened the trunk again. "Good question," I muttered. "Maybe her family was ashamed of her? After all, she was a woman who traveled halfway around the world, looking for adventure. Women just didn't _do_ that back then. Maybe they thought by keeping her belongings, she'd have to come back for them? They might have hoped Alice would return after a while, possibly when she realized what a 'mistake' she'd made?"

Ali shook her head and went back to digging in the second trunk. I, however, couldn't seem to get away from this one, and so began rummaging through it again, flipping through the books and shuffling through the other miscellaneous items, hoping to find something special.

'_Which is stupid, of course_,' I realized, putting down a faded seashell. '_Anything special would have gone to China with Alice. The rest of this is probably her castoff stuff, or whatever she didn't want to take_.'

Well, you never know what you'll find when it comes to antiquing, so I decided to be optimistic and continue rummaging. It was a good thing I did, because it was while I was shifting through the trunk that I discovered the brilliant white square of paper in the back corner.

'_That's weird. Why isn't it all aged and yellow like the books_?' I wondered, reaching for it.

The paper was actually an envelope, perfectly square and a fairly decent size. It was of fine quality stuff, which _might_ explain why it hadn't aged, but I wasn't convinced. Turning it over, I saw the name '_Alice_' elegantly written on the front in gold ink; on the back was a white wax seal in the shape of a rose, and hovering over the rose was a white crown. How very interesting.

Chewing my lip, I wondered if the envelope was some sort of gift for _this_ Alice, the friend sitting six feet away from me. Maybe it had been put here as a game, like a treasure hunt to motivate Ali into finishing the cleaning she'd promised to do? Could there be other envelopes hidden throughout the attic, and when we found them all, we would get a prize?

I shrugged. It made sense, and it'd get Ali to be more cooperative, so why not ask her? "Hey, Ali, come here. I found something."

"Don't say it's another book," she groaned, still rummaging through the second trunk. "I promise, you can have all the books we find in this attic, but don't make me come over there and look at it."

I rolled my eyes. "No, you moron, it's not a book, it's an envelope. And it's got your name on it."

Ali dropped what she was doing and was at my side in an instant. "No, I don't think it's for me," she said in disappointment, after reading the front. "I haven't been called Alice since I was five; that was when I'd been told the family history and insisted on being nicknamed 'Ali.' My parents know better than to write my full first name on the front of an envelope."

"Well, it can't have been for your ancestor. Look, the paper isn't faded or turning yellow with age, and the wax looks like it was sealed yesterday. Who else could it be for?" I asked, impatiently.

"I don't know, but it's not from my parents. The family crest looks nothing like that, and it's not one that I recognize, so it's not from any of Mum or Dad's friends. It _has_ to be for Alice Kingsley."

But that was impossible, wasn't it? I twirled the envelope over and over in my hands. "Should we open it, just to see inside? I mean, it's not even open, so she never got it. It was probably sent after she went to China."

Ali began to look interested again. "I've got to admit, I love a good mystery. I mean, I know that Alice went to China, helped found a trading post for her father's company, married one of the clerks who worked there, then had a brood of children and grandchildren, who came back to England when the family bloodline ran out. That's how the house stayed in our family, you know. But for her family to hide something like this from her –it might have been from someone incredibly important, and they let the thing lie around for ages. That doesn't seem right."

I nodded. "So, do you want to open it? I mean, it's got your ancestor's name on it, and yours."

Ali shook her head. "I was never really an 'Alice.' The name's been passed down to at least one girl in every generation since her time, and I hate it. _You_ open it and see what it says."

Shrugging, I carefully slid her fingers under the seal and broke it. For a second, she could swear she heard a gasp-like noise, the sound almost otherworldly in the small attic space. Ali didn't seem to hear it, because she was busy urging me to hurry up. Shrugging off the strange moment, I pulled out the pristine white card and read it aloud.

"You are cordially invited to the castle of Her Royal Majesty, the White Queen, Mirana of Marmoreal, in celebration of the anniversary of the defeat of the Red Queen," I read aloud. "You may bring _one_ guest of your choosing to share in the honor of attending the celebration."

Ali stared at her. "You're serious? This has to be a joke. Someone's playing with us. The Red and White Queens? That's from the _**Alice in Wonderland**_ book! It's not fact, it's _fiction_."

I looked at the elegant writing in gold ink. "Well, that's what the note says, and since no one's messed with that trunk for at least fifty to a hundred years, I'd say it's genuine."

"This is bull," Ali retorted. "You have to be making this up. Here, give it to me."

Sighing, I tucked the invitation under the envelope's flap and offered it to her.

The second the invitation touched her hand, a bright white light filled the attic, so intensely it was blinding. When the white light was gone, I felt and saw a swirling vortex of rainbow colors pull us towards a place I couldn't see, and the thing that came next was a blow to the head.

Then, everything went black.

* * *

AN: Well, that's the first chapter. I'll post the second once I'm sure that people want me to continue. There's an influx of new stories now that the film's out, and I want to be sure that mine isn't lost in the mix. Thanks so much for reading, and please review!


	2. Underland

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: Wow, I never thought this fic would be so popular! As requested, I'm going to continue the story, and so here's chapter two. Enjoy and please review!

**Chapter 2: Underland**:

When I began to climb back towards consciousness, the first thought in my head was that I was in serious pain. My head hurt like hell, and I felt major aches and pains running through every square inch of me.

Groaning, I tried to open my eyes, but there was a bright light shining from somewhere, so I kept them closed. I could hear something bubbling, possibly a pot of water, and an occasional splash as something was dumped into it. Strangely, it wasn't muggy in the room.

'_They must have great ventilation here_,' I thought, wincing as part of my head throbbed. '_Wherever 'here' is_.'

"Now, now, don't move," a comforting female voice told me. "You've been hurt rather badly, worse than I thought it would be. Your journey down the Rabbit Hole I created was rougher than I expected."

The voice was soft, almost motherly, but young, probably not much older than me or Ali.

'_And considering we were in our twenties, that wasn't very old_.'

But why did the speaker sound as if she'd lived longer than that, as though she'd seen many years pass by and still lived in the moment of today?

'_Okay, I must have really hit my head to be thinking such trippy thoughts_.'

A soft, gentle hand came to rest on my shoulder, and the voice said, "You must sit up and drink this. It will take away your pain."

Happy to try anything that would make the aches stop, I slowly shifted into a seating position and parted my lips. A chilled cup was pressed to them, but the liquid I sipped was warm. How odd…the taste was a mixture of sweet, sour, soothing, and liquid warmth, all mixed into one…

When the last drop was swallowed, I felt every bit of pain fade away instantaneously. However, I began to feel tired, like all the strength had been pulled out of me. Well, at least the pain was gone.

"Thank you," I whispered, my eyes still closed.

"You're welcome," the voice replied. "Now, rest. Tomorrow, we will see what can be done."

'_Done about what_?' I wondered as I lost consciousness.

* * *

"Forgive me, Majesty," the White Rabbit squeaked out, body quivering.

Not that he was scared; far from it. If this had been the Red Queen, he'd have been beheaded, or at least have his whiskers cut off. Mercifully, the White Queen was forgiveness itself, and very understanding. He could thank his lucky stars for that.

"You could not have foreseen this, Twisp," the Queen assured him, a smile on her red lips. "Besides, the envelope did as it was made to do, as you did what I sent you to do. You delivered the message, and Alice has returned to Underland, with a guest. Though I do admit, I had not expected her to bring anyone from her realm."

That was true enough. Visitors from the Above Realm were few and far between, a real rarity in Underland. Most who fell down rabbit holes and ended up here chose to leave almost at once; they found Underland far too strange and different from what they were accustomed to. Occasionally, one or two would stay, but that only happened if the visitor truly loved Underland, or if they had nothing to go back to.

The circumstances in this case were entirely new. For the first time, a person had been invited back to Underland after willingly departing it, and with her had come a guest of her choosing.

"She must be worthy, for Alice to choose her as a friend and guest," Twisp muttered.

The Queen nodded. "Indeed. Now, we must let the poor girls rest. When they are well enough, we will begin the celebrations."

* * *

"Laura, _wake up_!" a voice hissed into my ear.

Groaning, I rolled over and looked into a pair of familiar blue eyes. "Ali, what do you want?" I grumbled.

"Laura, you won't _believe_ where we are!" she gasped.

In all the years I'd known her, I'd rarely heard Ali gasp as she spoke. There was a hitch in her voice that was disturbing, and so, giving in, I opened my eyes and almost passed out, again.

"No way," I flat out said.

The room I was in was…-well, the only word to describe it was 'otherworldly.' Everything was white, silver, or pearl grey, from the ceiling to the stitches in the sheets, and the whole place glowed with light. I didn't know if the room was actually glowing, or if the sunlight beaming through the windows was gleaming off of every surface in the room. It was a place fit for a princess or a queen.

"Ali, where are we?" I breathed, looking over at her. "And what the _heck_ are you wearing?"

My friend wore a pale blue dress that fit her like a glove. White lace trimmed the collar, short sleeves, and the edged of the bodice, which resembled a corset. However, since I knew there was no way my Ali would wear a "torture device," as she called it, there was no way one had made it on her body.

She had a bewildered look in her eyes, which probably matched the one in mine. "Apparently we are in Underland."

I stared at her. "We're _where_?"

Ali shook her head. "Apparently Lewis Carroll got it wrong, and it isn't 'Wonderland,' but _Under_land. And we are here because of that envelope we found."

"Okay, wait a sec," I said, taking a deep breath. "We are in a place that's been written down in a fictional book?"

She sighed. "Okay, let me start from the beginning."

Perched in a white bed with white fluffy blankets and plump pillows, I listened to a story that would have been impossible if I hadn't been living it.

Apparently the envelope we'd found had indeed been meant for Alice Kingsley. Both the envelope and the invitation had a spell cast over them, a spell that was specifically focused on 'Alice,' and which was supposed to send her and a guest to Underland once they both touched the invitation at the same time.

However, Alice Kingsley never got it –we did.

"When you and I touched the invitation, the spell kicked in, and we were pulled down here," Ali explained. "Right now, we're in the White Queen's palace, and they think I'm "the" Alice, their friend and apparently, a hero. She killed some kind of dragon-monster thing, defeated the Red Queen, and now they're having this party in _her_ honor."

"Crap," I said, clamping a hand over my eyes. "Ali, you've got to tell them the truth. They have to know that you aren't their Alice, but her several-times-great granddaughter."

She shook her head. "No way. If they found that out…I don't know what they'd do! I mean, didn't something in the book say that everyone in Wonderland – sorry, Underland – is mad in some way? What if the news pushes them over the edge? Who knows what'll happen?"

"But you can't keep lying to them!" I strangled out. "I mean, they just pulled us through space and time by using magic! What do you think they'll do to us when they find out the truth?"

"Space and time?" Ali asked, looking at me as though I were the crazy one. "What are you talking about?"

I almost slapped her upside the head. "Okay, think about it," I said, rolling my eyes. "The White Queen sent the invitation over a century ago, our time. If this is the same White Queen – which I'm guessing is the case – then they either age at a fraction of the time that we do, or we've been pulled through time to land in the Underland that Alice Kingsley visited all those years ago!"

Ali's fair skin went dead white, like the sheets she was sitting on. "Crap," she muttered. "Well, it's too late now. They're getting the palace ready for the celebrations, and if I tell them who I really am, it'll break their hearts!"

She gave me a sly look. "Besides, as my guest, you get to see everything from the VIP section, right next to the White Queen herself."

Leave it to Ali to want to be the life of the party. Not that I blamed her; she'd only been given faint attention by her parents, and she tried to make up for her unaffectionate childhood by making boatloads of friends and being the center of attention. In spite of those flaws, though, she was a good person; she was always there to support me when I needed it, and she was generous to a fault.

Right now, through, she was playing the part of Heroine and Savior of Underland, which both of us knew wasn't right. Apparently, she couldn't seem to move past the ego boost this place was giving her.

"Okay, but promise me that you'll straighten this out ASAP," I told her firmly.

Ali crossed her heart and raised her right hand. "I promise."

Giving in, I lay back on the bed and looked up at her. "So, tell me about the White Queen. I've never read the book; I've only seen different movies and TV shows about it, so I have _no_ idea what's going on."

"Well, technically, you've already met her. She was the one who treated you when you woke up with your aches and pains," Ali replied, looking a bit sheepish.

I stared at her. "The White Queen looked after me?"

"Indeed I did," said a voice from the doorway.

Again, I stared. The White Queen was absolutely beautiful, in an ethereal way. Long white hair that curled at the ends, a magnificent white gown that glittered with pearls and silver embroidery, and the way she glided across the floor was astounding. Dark brown eyebrows and deep red lips took her from utterly ethereal and made her more human.

'_Though her skin could make Snow White look sunburned_,' I thought, bowing my head to her in respect.

"Now, now, none of that," she said, slipping a hand under my chin and tilting it upwards.

I caught a glimpse of red-black nail polish on her hands, and liked it. She had a very nice sense of style.

"I am Mirana, the White Queen and Ruler of Underland," she introduced herself. "And you are, my dear?"

"My name is Laura, Your Majesty," I said, bowing my head quickly in a substitute for a curtsey. "I'm a friend of Alice's."

That wasn't a lie; Ali's given name had been 'Alice,' and I was her friend, so it wasn't all bad. However, I still felt guilty for misleading her. Hopefully, Ali would tell everyone the truth soon.

"Well, then, I welcome you to my kingdom," she said, bestowing me with a kind smile. "Now, Alice, would you and your friend be so kind as to join me for luncheon? I wish to speak with you both before we begin receiving our guests for the celebration. The wardrobe there is full of gowns for you, Laura; you may use them as you wish."

I bowed my head again as the White Queen turned to leave, but watched her from under my eyelashes as she moved. It was fascinating, watching how she seemed to float over the floor, her hands somehow managing to precede her –and not to mention how her hands moved gracefully back and forth as she spoke!

"What a strange woman," I muttered. "Wait, did she mention guests and a celebration?"

Ali rolled her eyes as she headed over to a tall white wardrobe. "Remember the invitation? It's to celebrate the defeat of the Red Queen, and we're required to attend."

"But what about the guests?" I whispered, getting out of bed to follow her. "What if they start asking questions, or talking about things only 'their' Alice would know? What will you do then? Claim amnesia?"

She waved my words aside. "Don't worry about it. I read the book -had no choice, really, since it's part of the family history - so I know most of it. Whatever I mess up, I'll laugh off and claim that it's been far too long since I've been here. Simple."

I wasn't so sure, but since Ali wasn't going to listen to me, I decided to go along with her stupid idea and do some damage control when needed. Lord knows she would need some help with the charade she was carrying off.

As she threw open the wardrobe doors, I was struck dumb by the fantastic array of dresses that hung there. This may be the White Queen's palace, and she may be dressed in her signature color, but clearly Queen Mirana didn't intend for everyone to follow her fashion choices. Here were dresses in every color of the rainbow, some in colors that couldn't be found in nature, and some so neon-bright they almost blinded me to look at. The only color missing was red, probably for obvious reasons.

"Let's pick something more mundane," I said, pulling out the neon gowns and stuffing them into a corner of the closet. "You're already wearing blue, so that's out. How about brown?"

Ali winced. "Too drab. I have no idea why they put that in there. How about yellow?"

We continued to argue over dress colors and styles for another twenty minutes before I settled on a green silk dress. It had a modest V-neck, with soft gold lace trimmed around the long sleeves and neckline. There were thumb-sized gold starbursts embroidered all over the skirt and the wrists of the sleeves, and best of all, there were pockets. I _loved_ pockets in my clothes.

"Okay, but what are we going to do about your hair?" Ali asked me.

Her hair was simple: long, flowing golden locks that went down to the middle of her back, and could be styled any way she wanted. I, on the other hand, had thick brown hair that puffed out, so I tried to keep it cut short. However, I hadn't gotten my semi-annual haircut before traveling to England, so it now hung just below my shoulders.

In the end, Ali managed to weave a long green ribbon through my hair, then pulled it up to a bun. She, however, kept her hair loose, which went very well with her dress and the shape of her face. Now dressed, we headed out into the hallway.

Sadly, the Queen had forgotten to provide an escort for us, so we ended up wandering around aimlessly, looking at the artwork on the walls and pointing out odd ornaments that decorated the hallways. One wall in particular caught my attention.

"Oh my gosh," I breathed, grabbing Ali's arm. "Look!"

The mural was labeled "_**Alice Facing the Jabberwocky**_," and in it was a girl wearing a formidable set of armor, a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. That alone would have been interesting, but there was another thing that made it stood out –namely, the simple fact that it was Ali's face staring down at us.

"Crap, you look just like her," I whispered to my friend.

"Ah! There you are," said a familiar voice.

Turning, we saw the Queen approaching. I immediately fell into a deep curtsey, wanting to show thanks and respect to the woman who had saved my life, not to mention make it a lot more interesting. Ali stared at me a second, then followed suit.

"Now, I told you, none of that," Queen Mirana said, her voice amused. "Come along, luncheon is waiting for us."

She offered me a hand to lift me from my curtsey, and proceeded to lead me down the hall. Ali rose from her own curtsey, and looked as though she were a bit jealous of me getting the Queen's attention. I gave her an apologetic smile as we made our way through several corridors and out into a spectacular garden.

Only one word left my mouth when I saw it. "Wow."

Flowers in dozens of hues, shapes, and sizes grew everywhere. The shrubs had been cut into different shapes, and some where covered in the most beautiful and delicate flowers. In the center of the garden was a table covered with plates and trays full of food, each plate and tray carefully decorated or painted with its own design. Even the glasses of each place setting was unique, each one a glass flower in a different shape and color.

As we took our places at the circular table, me on the Queen's left and Ali on her right, I noticed a few flowers nearby turn towards us. I almost jumped out of my chair when I saw what looked like _faces_ at the center of each blossom.

"Oh, my!" I gasped. "How marvelous!"

"Yes, we are," a red rose said, looking at me from a bush she shared with several others. "Thank you for noticing."

I smiled. "Well, it's very hard not to recognize such interesting and unique flowers, especially in a Queen's Garden," I replied, trying to stay on the flowers' good side.

Each and every blossom in hearing distance seemed to preen at my praise. I heard several whisper how polite I was, and that I was wearing a very sensible color (green). "Very flower-like," they said.

The rose, who seemed to be an authority in this part of the garden, nodded in agreement. "Though you could do with a bit more color," she said, sounding like an old aristocratic Englishwoman.

"I'll keep that in mind," I solemnly told her. "I am fond of all colors, but sadly, there are quite a few that don't suit me."

"Indeed," the rose replied. "Some of us grow in one color, but roses are suited for any of them. You will have to be careful not to unfurl in a color or shade that does not become you. Now, eat before your meal is cold."

Biting back my amusement, I nodded my head slightly towards the roses and to the flowers in general before turning back towards the table. The White Queen looked very pleased with me, but Ali looked as though I'd lost my mind.

"Well, you _have_ to be polite to the flowers," I said, remembering a certain part of the _**Alice**_ story. "I wouldn't want to get on their bad side, and it's only right to be polite to them."

"It is indeed," the Queen stated approvingly. "Now, on to business, shall we? The most honored guests and heroes will be arriving tomorrow afternoon, and you must both be ready to receive them."

As she chattered on about the celebration and its events, I looked at the food on my plate. I remembered what food had done to the infamous Alice as soon as she consumed them, and wondered if it was safe. I really didn't want to get taller or shorter, nor did I want anything else to happen to my body. I was quite happy the way I was, thank you very much!

On the other hand, the Queen wouldn't feed that kind of thing to her guests, so I guess it was all okay to eat. Besides, the food looked irresistible, and the desserts looked delectable! My growling stomach finally convinced me to go ahead and fill it.

While I ate, the Queen began listing a bunch of guests that were quite familiar (i.e.: from the book), and as the list went on, I watched Ali's facial expressions carefully. It looked as though she finally understood the dangers of being an impostor to her ancestor's heroics, and that riding this out this might not be such a good idea after all.

I gave her an encouraging look, and passed her a plate of tea cakes, my mind whirling at the list of guests that would be coming. All of them had been characters in a children's book, and here I was, eating lunch with the beautiful White Queen in her garden! I imagined what it would be like, meeting the Tweedles and the Dormouse.

No doubt things were going to start getting even more interesting, and very soon.

* * *

AN: Chapter three will have all of our favorites from the movie, including a certain mad hat maker. Then we can expect the unexpected! Thanks for reading, and please review!


	3. Guests of Honor

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: I'm going with Johnny Depp's description of the relationship between Alice and the Mad Hatter: that they are more of brother-and-sister, and nothing more than that. Besides, this is going to be a Hatter/OC story, so I'm hoping there won't be any objections.

Also, I _think_ the Hatter has a name in the 2010 movie, Tarrant Hightopp. I'm going to mostly refer to him as the Hatter, but I might bring up his real name one in a while, just to make him more human. Thanks for reading and please review!

**Chapter 3: Guests of Honor:**

Time is a strange thing, no matter where you are. He can move quickly, he can move slowly, or he can simply stand still and keep you trapped in one moment whenever and wherever he chose to.

However, Underland was one of those places where Time could either be very important (like to the White Rabbit), or he could mean nothing, like a stray wisp of cloud in a flawless sky.

So, to sum it all up, in Underland, it could be yesterday, today, or tomorrow, but no one would know it. After all, Underland was full of people who were mad, at least in some form or another. The only way anyone knew that Time was passing was when someone in the Queen's palace consulted the scroll that foretold certain important events in Underland's history, and that was a very rare occurrence.

As one of the maddest of the Underlanders, the Hatter knew Time quite well, and sometimes he did the Hatter a favor. When he'd been waiting for Alice's return so she could slay the Jabberwocky, Time had stopped the Hatter's, the March Hare's, and the Dormouse's day at tea time.

Now, as the Hatter waited for Alice to return once more, this time to celebrate the fall of the Red Queen, Time had again frozen the day at his friend's favorite time of day: tea time.

Not that this was a bad thing; it gave the trio plenty of things to eat, drink, and talk about, and the table wasn't that terrible to sleep on whenever they grew tired, so there wasn't much to complain about, except for the occasional shortage of tarts.

Today, however, Time had resumed. The Hatter's watch had started ticking again just as they'd settled down to discuss things that started with the letter 'H,' and when they heard the constant 'tick' of the watch, both he and his friends knew exactly what had happened.

"We must get to the Queen's castle!" the Hare shrieked, throwing aside his cups so he could start dumping crumpets and sandwiches into a beat up brown leather suitcase.

"He's right. We mustn't be late for the celebrations!" the Dormouse said as she ran home to ready herself.

The Hatter, meanwhile, raced back to _his_ home in order to begin preparations for the event.

To thank him for his loyalty and skills in battle, the White Queen had built new homes for the Hatter and his friends, and given the Hatter all of the materials he wanted for making hats for anyone who asked him for one. However, Tarrant Hightopp's works were exclusively for the Queen.

Bursting through the front door of his house, a magnificent place painted with twelve different colors, the Hatter began piling hats into boxes, then taking them out again. He could only carry so much, and the best hats had to go with him. These were not only for the Queen's fair head, but also for one special young lady –that lady was Alice.

It had been too long since he'd seen her, and he missed his dear friend. He could keenly remember that day when a tiny girl-child with curling blonde hair had sat at his table and joined in their tea. Then she appeared again, small as the Dormouse and in serious need of getting her much-ness back before facing the Jabberwocky.

Tilting his head, the Hatter began wondering how much she had changed now. Was she older? Taller? Smaller? Worst of all, had she forgotten him, even after promising not to?

Giggling, he tossed the best hats into their boxes, tied them up, and stacked them, a plan working in his head. It was a long road to the Queen's palace, and he still had a few hats to finish up before leaving. Hopefully, he would arrive before the best things happened.

* * *

"Come _on_, Laura, we're going to be late!" Ali whined, tugging on my arm.

Sighing, I decided to ignore her and keep working on my hair. The Queen had been kind enough to provide a set of much more elaborate gowns for the two of us, and I didn't want to degrade them by having shabby hair.

Yesterday, after lunch with the Queen, Ali and I had been urged to explore the palace, which we did. I found the magnificent library (making a mental note to visit it in the near future), and we managed to locate the throne room, armory, treasury rooms, and last of all, the Queen's potion room. I was majorly grossed out at the sight of what was in the ingredient jars, and swore never to visit that place again. I definitely did _not_ want to know what had gone into the pain-killing potion I had drunk.

Dinner last night had been in the large banquet hall with the Queen and many of her courtiers. Thankfully, Ali and I had been spared from saying much, as the entire court was buzzing about the upcoming festivities. I could only smile and nod as I was promised fun, food, and entertainments I'd never even dreamed of.

This morning, Ali and I had eaten breakfast in our rooms, then been assigned maids who would help prepare us for the arrival of some very important guests.

Today, Ali's gown was a sky blue that matched her eyes, the three-quarter length sleeves, hem, and neckline trimmed with black lace shot through with silver thread. Her blonde locks were combed and hanging loose, and there was a lovely gold-and-turquoise hair ornament resting on her head, courtesy of the White Queen.

As for me, I was clad in a beautiful, flowing deep purple gown with long sleeves and rose satin-lined arm tippets dangling down the sides. There was no bodice, nor a corset (thank goodness), and the hem reached just above my feet. My hair had been brushed, parted, and the forelocks had been pulled back with a beautiful silver and amethyst hair clip in the shape of a butterfly.

However, a few strands were kind of puffing out in spite of the hair cream that a maid had used me. It wasn't helping much, which was why I was still in front of a mirror, trying to figure out what to do with it while Ali was trying to pull me out of my chair.

"Okay, okay, let's go," I said, giving up.

"Believe me, Laura, you hair isn't that bad," Ali assured me. "Sure, it's thick, and it puffs out in humidity, but mine does the same thing. You look beautiful."

My worried eased as she pulled me into a tight hug. Smiling, I returned the embrace, both of us squeezing each other tightly. She always did know how to make me feel better.

"Now, are you ready to have fun?" she whispered into my ear. "Because if you're not having fun, I'm not having fun, and then I'll have to _make_ it fun."

I had to grin. It was something Ali very much believed in: she could not have fun somewhere if I, her best friend, wasn't. Then, to make it up to me, she would try and help me loosen up, usually by trying to involve me more. If we were at a nightclub, she'd pull me onto the dance floor and put a drink in my hand. If we were anywhere and I was bored out of my mind, Ali would tell jokes or make faces at me until I burst out laughing. It was just the way she was.

"Yeah, but you _love_ being the life of the party," I whispered back. "I'm the one who likes to stand in the corner and watch you make an idiot out of yourself in front of other people."

She laughed and pulled back. "But that's always the best part. Now, are you done fussing with your hair? I don't think it's going to get any tamer."

Sighing, I knew she was right; it might actually get worse as the day went on. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

The throne room was like the rest of the castle: white everywhere, with few spots for any other color. The Queen's throne, which stood on a white marble dais, was made of solid silver. The cushions on it were green, the back cushion embroidered in silver thread with her coat of arms. Some of the marble columns supporting the throne room had a green or black tint to them, but for the most part, the castle was primarily white or silver.

'_The only amazing colorful spots I've seen are the murals or portraits decorating the walls_,' I thought, feeling self-conscious. '_And the gardens, which are beautiful_.'

Even among the courtiers, Ali and I stood out, her in blue and me in violet. We were like a cornflower and a violet among white roses, and it made me uneasy. The Queen's court consisted of men and women wearing pearl-grey satin, silver, or white, and they either had naturally white hair or wore wigs to mask their natural hair color.

'_At least they're not mean or anything_,' I thought smiling at a young man who bowed his head to Ali and me as we approached the throne, upon which sat the Queen herself.

Actually, the courtiers were as nice and polite as the Queen was. They were very understanding, and happily provided tours or directions if Ali and I ever got lost in the castle. I'd even met the infamous White Rabbit, who was kind of twitchy, but still very sweet.

"Welcome, Alice, and welcome to you, Laura," the Queen greeted us. "Please, sit."

Her hands motioned to two silver chairs, upholstered in green velvet and bearing her crest. One chair stood at each side of the throne, and Alice took her place at the Queen's right hand while I sat on her left. I saw the White Rabbit appear and take a position close to the door, a trumpet in one paw and a scroll in the other. No doubt he was going to announce each guest as they entered.

'_Well, that'll make things easier for Ali, if any of them approach her as_ "_old friends_,"' I thought, straightening my skirts a little.

Inside, my stomach was twisting into knots. I was excited to meet the characters from the legendary book, but I was also scared to death of what might happen if – or when – they found out that my best friend wasn't _their_ Alice. I didn't think that the White Queen would be very happy, but hopefully she wouldn't send us to the chopping block, like her sister would have.

A trumpet rang, and the Rabbit announced the March Hare and Mallymkun, the Dormouse. The Hare had a somewhat mad look in his eyes, and appeared to have a major nervous twitch problem. It was worse even than the White Rabbit (which is saying a lot). The Dormouse, Mallymkun, would have been cute without the focused, pointed look in her eyes.

Both the Hare and Mallymkun bowed to the Queen and to Ali before turning to me. The Hare twitched a bit, but bowed nonetheless. The Dormouse eyed me carefully, but apparently liked what she saw, because she actually nodded her head at me.

After they backed away, Tweedledee and Tweedledum were announced and presented. They bowed to the Queen, grinning like little boys who had been presented a special treat, then looked over at me. For a second, they looked puzzled, tilting their heads back and forth as they blinked in thought.

"She _looks_ like a princess," one of them said (I couldn't tell which). "Therefore she must be."

"No, she mustn't. She could be a lady that _looks_ like a princess," argued the other. "Therefore she must be a lady. Besides, someone _told_ us she was a lady, so she is, in fact, a lady."

"Alright, that's enough," Mallymkun retorted sharply from the sidelines. "Just say hello to Alice and let's get on with it."

The twins looked over at Ali, and blinked at her, too, as though they didn't recognize her. I thought for a minute that they might see that she wasn't the Alice they knew, but all they did was smile, bow, and move out of the way.

The next guest appeared out of nowhere to hover right in front of the Queen's head. It was a grey-and-blue striped tabby cat, and I had to giggle at the Cheshire Cat's broad and playful grin.

"Your Majesty," he purred, softly and seductively. "I'm _most_ honored at being invited to this celebration."

"As I am happy to have you here, Chessure," Queen Mirana replied, smiling. "You remember our heroine, Alice. And this is her friend and companion, Laura."

The Cat nodded at Alice, then turns towards me. "Hmm, interesting," he said, right before he vanished. I almost wet myself when he appeared right in front of my nose. "We haven't had a fresh face for many years," he told me. "She seems to be a good sort of girl."

I watched in fascination as he turned upside down and looked at me intensely. I had always loved cats, and this charming, grinning feline was beginning to win me over. As he continued to turn over again in midair, I decided to ask a question that had just popped into my head.

"Your fur is very interesting," I said. "Is it as soft as it looks?"

Chessure's grin widened. "Why don't you find out?" he asked, tilting his head forward.

Thinking this might be a joke, I reached out cautiously, half-expecting him to vanish before my fingers even touched his head. To my surprise, he stayed where he was, and my fingers touched the silkiest fur I'd ever encountered. It was like someone had taken a warm, soft spring breeze and thin curls of smoke, then twisted them together to make these marvelous strands of fur.

As I petted his head, I could feel Chessure begin to purr loudly under my fingertips. '_Oh, man, I will never look at cats the same way again. Not after today!_' If I ever got a cat, I'd try and get one like Chessure –which, of course, would be impossible.

"I believe you've made a new friend," Ali teased me, smiling. "Laura's always had a fondness for cats, and they've always loved her."

"Hmm, yes, I can see why," Chessure drawled out. "Thank you for the delightful scratch, my dear. We simply must do this again soon."

With that, he vanished in a swirl of vapor, much to my disappointment. Oh, well; I would see him soon, I hoped. He seemed like a cool person to hang out with –literally.

'_Yeah, he's a real cool cat_,' I thought, almost laughing at the bad use of 1920's slang.

At the sound of someone clearing their throat before the dais, I pulled my attention back to the present. It was the White Rabbit, and he looked rather nervous.

"Your pardon, Majesty," he said with a bow, "But I'm afraid that the Hatter, Tarrant Hightopp, has not arrived yet. The Dormouse claims that he is finishing gifts for both you and Miss Alice."

The Queen smiled and nodded. "Very well, Twisp," she said, rising gracefully from her chair. "When he arrives, send him to us. We are going to luncheon now, and will save him a place at the table. Come along Alice, Laura."

Alice followed right behind the Queen, and I went behind _her_, carefully holding up my skirts as I walked. So far, I'd only worn dresses on very special occasions, but never one as long and elegant as this one. I felt clumsy and stupid, but since it was part of the dress code here, I didn't have a choice in what I wore.

It didn't matter though, because I had a distinct feeling that many more interesting things were going to happen, and soon.

* * *

I had thought we'd be eating in the banquet room again today, but apparently I was wrong. Instead, several enormous, wide open tents had been set up in one of the White Queen's larger gardens. Under each tent was a line of tables, all of them loaded with fantastic things to eat and drink. I ended up in the fanciest tent, seated to the right of the White Queen, who sat at the head of the table. When I asked her why I was on her right, when Alice had been there earlier in the throne room, she had a simple answer.

"I want to treat the both of you equally," Queen Mirana replied. "Alice is of course our heroine, but as her friend, you are quite special as well."

Good enough. There was an open seat to Alice's left, but I assumed that was for the Hatter, and didn't ask. Instead, I tucked into my meal with polite enthusiasm. As I ate, I listened to everything that was going on in the tent. The open space was filled with soft chatter, bird songs, and the laughter of courtiers and flowers. As we were all waiting for dessert to be served, a trumpet sounded, and a herald announced the arrival of the Mad Hatter himself.

* * *

It had taken him longer to finish his hats than expected, but sometimes that was to be expected in his craft. On a few rare occasions, a style of hat proved to be stubborn, and he had to do his best to make it right.

But late this morning, he'd finished at last, and with a stack of hat boxes reaching towards the sky, the Hatter raced for the castle of the White Queen. At the door, he'd left the hats with a servant, who would make sure the hats made it to the people they were meant for. Another servant bowed and declared that the Queen and court had retired to lunch, and were waiting for him to join them.

After tugging his neck scarf and into a bow, the Hatter followed the manservant into the largest of the gardens, and waited as he was announced. At last, he approached the Queen and bowed.

"Majesty, I am honored to be here," he said, straightening up to grin at his monarch.

"And I am most happy that you have joined us at last, Tarrant Hightopp," she said, smiling. "You remember our champion, Alice, of course-"

He looked at his friend and bowed his head. Something in the back of his mind (or what was left of it) screamed that something was wrong with Alice, but he couldn't quite place it…

"-and this is her friend, Laura, who will be joining us for the festivities."

Looking at the young woman dressed in violet, Tarrant felt something in his chest jerk upwards. She was a pretty thing, with deep brown hair and dark chocolate eyes that marvelously set off her gown. She was smiling nervously at him, and he grinned back, pulling his hat off of his head so that he could bow to her properly.

"Welcome to Underland, my lady," he said, grinning even wider. "What a lovely creature you make! I don't suppose you would let me create a hat for that darling head of yours? It looks so dreadfully bare without one."

It was rare for him to create hats for anyone besides the Queen. Alice was a special case, of course, but this young lady…there was definitely something to her that he didn't understand yet.

A shiver went up his spine and jerked something inside his head. How odd!

"Will you join us, Hatter?" the Queen asked, motioning towards an empty seat.

Obedient, he took a seat beside Alice, though his eyes remained elsewhere.

* * *

It was majorly creepy the way the Hatter kept staring at me. It was even creepier considering he had orange hair that looked like he'd been struck by lightning, and that his eyes were neon green. _That_ was definitely not normal.

'_But then, he is the Mad Hatter_,' I reminded myself. '_Maybe he's not actually staring at me; it could be a side effect of his madness_.'

Either way, it was beginning to freak me out, a lot. So were his unusually pink-purple lips, and the strange pink-orange bags he had under his eyes.

Forcing down the creamy custard I'd been served for dessert, I silently prayed for lunch to be over so that I wouldn't have to put up with the strange man any longer.

* * *

AN: That's chapter three. More Hatter & company in the next one. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	4. Unusual Encounters

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: Sorry, but I had to include croquet in this story. You can't go to Underland without even one game of croquet happening. But don't worry; this is the White Queen we're talking about, so no animals were harmed in the making of this story. Meanwhile, I hope that everyone enjoys themselves and will review. Thanks!

**Chapter 4: Unusual Encounters:**

After lunch, the Queen invited people to join her in a game of croquet. I, of course, immediately pictured the Red Queen's version, with the poor hedgehogs being used as balls and flamingos as mallets. Much to my relief, several dozen royal pages appeared with colorful _wooden_ balls and finely crafted _wood_ mallets, instead of the animals I'd envisioned.

"Do you play, Laura?" the Queen asked me as she rose gracefully from her seat.

"Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with the game, Majesty," I replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.

She nodded. "That is alright, my dear. You may watch for a while, and join us for a second round later, if you are comfortable with the game by then. Alice, will you join me?"

Ali, of course, knew how to play. She was an English aristocrat, and playing croquet was something they'd taught her the minute she could start remembering the rules. I knew she was good at it; she was good at everything a well-bred Englishwoman of good family should know.

However, as her friend, I knew she'd be much more comfortable sitting with me on the sidelines, whispering jokes and giggling over the players of the game. She couldn't do that today, but I had a feeling that as soon as we were alone, she'd be poking fun at some of the courtiers (though they really wouldn't deserve it).

After throwing me an apologetic look, Ali trailed after the floating white figure of the Queen. I knew she was sorry for not teaching me the game days ago, when we'd first arrived in England. It was my first time in England, and I'd been excited to learn all about its culture, people, and history. Ali, who'd grown up there, was used to it, but she'd promised to teach me about croquet, instruct me on how to consume a proper English tea, and show me the grounds around her house.

'_Yeah, too bad we never got around to that_.'

I sighed wistfully and followed the crowds to the croquet field, where I was promptly seated in a white lawn chair by an obliging page boy in an immaculate white-and-silver uniform.

Watching the game begin, I thought back to how I'd had to improvise in etiquette whenever Ali and I "hung out" with the White Queen, as well as her court. My parents had taught me proper manners ever since I was little, but this was majorly different –there had been several times where I'd been forced to copy Ali's movements when eating (such as choosing the right fork or spoon), and proper mannerisms in general around the Queen.

"My lady?" a page boy addressed me, breaking my thoughts. "The Queen wishes to know if you will join her and the Lady Alice for tea this afternoon."

I tried my best not to sigh and roll my eyes. '_And it would figure that my very first proper tea will be served here in Underland_, _at the White Queen's table. I __**really**__ need to ask Ali for etiquette lessons_!'

The absolute _last_ thing I needed was to embarrass myself in front of the infamous people and creatures of Underland. I made a mental note to get Ali alone for some quick lessons either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, the poor little page was looking at me in a bit of anxiety, apparently waiting for my reply. I smiled at him and nodded. "Please inform Her Majesty that I would be delighted to join her for tea."

The page bowed and fled for the Queen's side. She bent slightly to hear what he had to say, and when he finished, she straightened to give me a delighted smile. I bowed my head in return and watched her tap her ball through a metal hoop.

"Do you not play croquet?" asked a male voice to my right.

Looking up, I saw it was the Mad Hatter, and immediately grew uncomfortable. Those impossibly neon-green eyes were focused on me, and he had a slight smile on his face.

Okay, to be honest, it wasn't a bad face; he certainly had the best nose I'd ever seen, if only because it was perfectly shaped. He also had a pair of marvelous high cheekbones that any woman would love to have. Not that I'd date him, of course; orange hair, unusual eyes, and the fact that he was insane…well, it kind of made me want to run and take cover in the castle.

Still, just because I was uncomfortable around him was no reason to be rude.

"No, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the game," I politely answered.

"May I?" he asked, pulling a chair up from nowhere. "There. Now, how is it you know Alice? She is much altered since she was here last, but I haven't yet deduced why. This is different than the case of her loosing her much-ness again."

Since I had no idea what "much-ness" was, I decided to ignore it and try to focus on his question. This required a lot of care, so I hesitated a moment to think of a good answer. I quickly decided it might be best to keep things as truthful as possible, preferably without giving up the fact that Ali wasn't who they thought she was.

"I met her at school, in my country," I truthfully replied. "My land is across the sea from England, and we were both accepted to the same school. We shared the same lodgings, and became quite close. We've been friends for many years now."

There was lots of history missing, such as Ali and me taking numerous spring and summer vacations together. There was also my meeting her parents whenever they (rarely) came to visit her. After graduating, we both moved to the same quiet apartment complex, literally down the hall from each other, and spent our free time hanging out and having fun together.

"Interesting," he muttered.

'_No, not really_,' I thought to myself. That was when I noticed that the Hatter staring at the top of my head, and realized that he hadn't been talking about me and 'Alice' at all.

"What's interesting?" I asked aloud, curious in spite of myself.

"Your head," the Hatter replied, eyes focused on my forehead. "I'm trying to imagine what sort of hat would suit it, but nothing seems right for a lovely head such as yours."

I blushed. No one had ever called my head 'lovely' before. On the other hand, he'd just said he couldn't put the right kind of hat to it, so either he was playing with me, or he seriously meant it.

"It is a puzzle, you see, and I must admit, a rather intriguing one," the Hatter continued, both hands reaching to touch my head. To my surprise, there were orange stains splattered across his fingers. That was strange.

'_Wait, is that because of the mercury poisoning from handling the hat materials_?' I remembered that from a bit of trivia Ali had told me once, years ago. '_The poor man; poisoned by the trade he obviously loves so much_.'

Those strange fingers trailed from my forehead back towards my hair, where he proceeded to gently comb through the loose-hanging strands. There was a deep, thoughtful look on the Hatter's face, and I was very curious to hear what it was he was thinking about.

"You must tell me your color," he declared, pulling his hands back with a jerk.

I looked at him blankly. "My color?" I repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Your color, my dearest Laura," he said, waving a hand in the air. "What color do you like best of the entire rainbow?"

Oh, that was easy. "I love the entire rainbow," I replied. "It's very pretty, don't you think?"

My answer must have pleased him, because his face lit up like a bizarre Christmas tree. "Wonderful! I shall begin work at once. By morning, you will have an array of hats the likes of which you've never seen anywhere!"

With that, he was gone, leaving me stunned in my chair. I heard footsteps approaching, and turned to see the White Queen and Ali coming up beside me.

"Goodness, what was that about?" my friend asked, watching the Hatter flee the garden. "Don't tell me you scared him off, Laura."

I chuckled. "No, he just wants to get started making hats. Right before he ran off, he promised me a whole stack of them by morning. I guess I should go after him and tell him not to trouble himself with so much work."

"Oh, don't do that, dear," the Queen said, smiling at me. "I haven't seen him this excited to make a hat since the day he discovered taffeta, and that was long ago. Let him have his fun while I teach you croquet."

* * *

Standing on the sidelines, Alice Elizabeth Cunningham watched her best friend learn croquet from the White Queen of Underland. Jeez, how twisted did that sound?

When they'd first arrived in Underland, Ali had thought she'd officially lost it. After all, she'd heard about that book and her several-times-great-grandmother her entire life –waking up in that fictional world had to mean that all those family history lessons had finally driven her off the deep end.

But no, it was real. When she'd woken up, the White Queen herself had treated her aches and pains, welcomed her "back" to Underland, and thanked her for accepting the invitation. At first, Ali could only nod, say it was no trouble, and wing it as she tried to gather what the heck was going on.

It didn't take long for her to deduce that every person here thought that she was Alice Kingsley, the woman who had told her tale to Lewis Carroll and then vanished to China. And apparently Mr. Carroll had altered a lot of stuff, or just left it out all together. Why he'd done that, she didn't know.

'_I mean, who leaves out an epic battle, like fighting and slaying the Jabberwocky_?' Ali wondered, mentally shaking her head. Probably because proper Victorian women didn't fight monsters with sharp pointy objects?

And of course, the resemblance she had to Alice Kingsley was beyond creepy. The murals in the White Queen's palace spoke volumes: the same hair, eyes, and even similar facial structure was enough to make even Ali stop and blink. It wasn't a mirror likeness, but since many people figured that "Alice" would have grown and altered over time, a difference to her face wasn't unexpected. But still, no wonder everyone thought she was Alice!

And then there was Laura, the sweetie. Laura was Ali's rock, though Ali never really admitted it. Shy, quiet, but good and steady, Laura Mason was everything Ali had wanted in a sister and friend. With parents who were distantly affectionate, and rarely ever home, Ali had always searched for someone to be permanent and affectionate. After meeting her friend in college, and in the years beyond, she had found exactly that: a friend with an "old soul," and who she could grow close to.

As best friends, they didn't hesitate to have coffee every other afternoon together, or to go out clubbing, or go to the theater every once in a while, keeping their friendship alive and growing for nearly a decade. When Ali's parents had invited the two girls to use the family's estate in England for the summer, free of charge, Ali had immediately agreed, knowing that Laura would gladly give her right arm for the chance to visit England.

'_But I __**never**__ thought something like __**this**__ would happen_,' she thought, trying to keep a frown from forming on her face. It would figure that some of her family's history would come back to bite her in the butt.

Ali had always hated having the family history crammed down her throat. Her father might be astoundingly proud of it, but not her. Maybe it was the fact that, ever since Alice Kingsley's time, at least one baby girl _had_ to be given the name 'Alice.' Ali had cousins, aunts, and several other distant family members who were all called Alice, and family gatherings always drove her crazy. It didn't help that the others felt honored by their given names -Ali didn't feel the same way about it.

'_Maybe if I'd known this place actually existed, I'd have felt differently_.' She'd never know for sure.

Spotting Laura take aim with her croquet mallet, Ali had to chuckle. Even though they were stuck in Underland for who-knows-how-long, it would be fun, at the least. Laura seemed to be fitting in very well, for all her lack of etiquette, but the people, flora, and animals liked her as much as they liked Ali, though it kind of hurt that they liked Ali because they thought she was _The_ Alice.

'_No worries_,' Ali thought to herself as Laura hit a ball through a hoop. '_They'll come around_.'

In the meantime, she had to keep an eye on that Hatter. She didn't like the way he was eyeing her friend, nor how he'd touched Laura's hair. Ali recognized an intimate touch like that, and knew the Hatter had to be up to something. What that was, she didn't know, but she was determined to find out.

* * *

In his workroom in the castle of Marmoreal, the Hatter attacked the stacks of materials set there for his use. He'd always had this workroom, and it was always stocked with the finest of things, for not only did he make hats for the White Queen, he did it to express himself and make his work come to life. Sometimes, he made pieces as gifts, or simply because someone asked for a hat crafted by him.

Today, however, he would dedicate his craft to a particular head, the one belonging to the pretty friend of Alice.

And what a puzzle she was! Whenever he was employed to make someone a hat, he always tried to imagine what hat would be appropriate for that person's head. But Laura, now, her head made his creative mind like one of the White Queen's favored stationary –a little bit of a design forming at the top, then going to complete white whenever he tried to think further. Honestly, he didn't know whether to be glad of the challenge, or flustered.

Well, at least he knew she liked an array of colors, so he wasn't limited to a single one, or a mere handful. Being able to work with anything he liked certainly helped his creativity, and it was beginning to show in the ridiculous amount of materials he was measuring, cutting, and pinning together. With any luck, he would have ten hats done by morning!

'_But would they suit her_?' the Hatter wondered, pausing in his work.

Of course they would! Surely at least one would be deemed worthy of resting on such a magnificent specimen of a head!

Giggling, the Hatter dove back into his work, determined to finish a few by tea time.

* * *

Afternoon tea at the White Queen's castle was not what I'd expected. I had thought that we'd all be gathered together like at lunch, courtiers and all, but it turned out to be more exclusive than that. There was me and Ali, of course, but also the White Rabbit, Mallymkun the Dormouse, and last but not least, the March Hare and the Hatter. The Tweedle brothers had vanished into the kitchens for their tea.

This afternoon, the Queen sat at the head of the table, but with Ali and me seated on her right, together for a change. The Rabbit apparently had some news to relay to the Queen, so he sat to her left. The Hare was across from me, and next to him was the Dormouse.

Much to my discomfort, the Hatter had decided to take a chair to my right. I did my best not to flinch away from him, instead focusing on the conversations going on around me and on Ali's mannerisms. She hadn't been able to give me etiquette lessons after my croquet lesson, so I was pretty much 'winging it' when it came to consuming tea properly.

"You know, I'm thinking the Hare has some kind of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder," Ali murmured to me as we watched him shift and organize the glasses and cups around his plate. "Well, that and some kind of a nervous twitch, mixed with a good dose of insanity."

I had to agree with her, but right now, the only person I was worried about was the Hatter. He'd arrived at tea with a stack of hat boxes, which he'd dumped in a corner before coming to sit at the table. Well, at least he was distracted by the March Hare and Mallymkun, so that gave me a chance to hear what the White Rabbit was talking about.

I was listening very closely to the Rabbit, who was describing what the flowers had told him just this afternoon, when a hand gently tapped my right shoulder. Still semi-distracted by the Rabbit's chatter, I turned my head. My eyes immediately locked with the Hatter's wacked out green gaze, and I felt my stomach clench at the broad grin he had on his face.

"I've brought several hats that I've crafted for you," he said, looking like an excited child. "Would you care to try them on after tea?"

I stared at him. How on earth had he managed to make a stack of hats in just one afternoon? Did he possess Superman speed skills, or had he really been _that_ excited to make me headwear?

To be honest, I was tempted to refuse, but when I thought about it, I was actually a bit excited to try them on. I'd never been a 'hat person,' and the idea of a new experience sounded fun. Besides, they were just hats, right?

"Alright," I said, smiling a little at him. "Have you someplace in mind where we can meet?"

* * *

Ali was not happy with my decision, but what could she do? The Hatter was apparently a great favorite of the White Queen, and when the Queen learned that the hats stacked in the corner were for me, she declared it a wonderful thing and offered me the use of her own private dressing rooms.

"It is where I try on my new clothing and hats," she said, nodding graciously to the Hatter, who bowed back. "I'm sure you will find it comfortable."

The room was the size of my parents' modest house back in the States, and had a wall of mirrors on one side, clearly meant for when the Queen tried on her new clothes. Opposite the entry doors stood a lovely white wood vanity with a large oval mirror, which had several hat stands nearby. I took a seat there and waited for the Hatter to arrive with his stack of hats.

I had no idea what to expect, but the pieces that he'd made were incredible. Most of the hats were meant to be worn off-kilter and pinned to the head, and they came in such a variety I couldn't imagine how he'd managed to make them in one afternoon.

For twenty minutes I sat there, trying on hats and looking at my reflection. Ali stood nearby to offer her opinion, but even she had to admit that the Hatter did pretty darn good work. A few were rejected quickly because the colors didn't suit my head, but in the end, I had six pieces of designer headwear.

Right now, a black hat was perched on my head, tilting slightly to the right. It was a black velvet top hat with purple taffeta wrapped around it, the ends dangling off at the back of my head. A purple flower made of silk was attached on the right side, to rest just above my right ear. It was adorable, but fashionable, and I made sure to tell the Hatter that.

"A pity about the others," he said, looking at the orange, bright green, and yellow hats I'd turned down. "But that simply means I now know what to work with in the future."

"That's very kind of you, but you don't have to trouble yourself," I assured him quickly. Six hats were more than enough to last my visit in Underland.

"Oh, it's no trouble," he cheerfully said, stacking up the rejected hats. "A hatter makes hats, and as I am a hatter, it is what I do."

"But it really isn't necessary," Alice chimed in.

I nodded. "And now Alice and I have to get ready for dinner this evening. It's supposed to be a magnificent meal, and we need lots of time to prepare."

"That's true," Ali declared as the Hatter gathered the rejected hats. "Though you'll look lovely no matter what you wear, Laura."

"Indeed she shall," the Hatter replied, balancing the hat boxes in his left arm. "My lady?" He extended his right hand towards me.

Thinking he wanted to shake hands, I offered my own. I did not expect him to gently take my hand and raise it to his lips, where he promptly pressed a swift and gentle kiss to my fingertips.

"I will see you at dinner," he said before turning to leave.

Once the door had closed behind him, I looked over at Ali. "Is it just me, or did his voice change?" I asked worriedly. "When he left, I mean."

Ali, meanwhile, was staring at the door. "It's not just you," she muttered. "Jeez, he's gotta have it bad for you, Laura. I don't know what you did, but I think the Mad Hatter has a crush on you."

My heart dropped to my stomach, which then dropped to the floor. "That's crazy," I said, trying to sound firm. "I mean, I don't even know the guy, and he doesn't know me."

Ali shrugged. "I'm just telling you what I see, darling. If you want to nip this in the bud, you'd better make sure of his feelings, and head them off by telling him it's not a good idea. And remember, once this whole celebration is over, you and I are going home."

She was right. Once this whole wacky adventure of ours was over, we'd be heading home, just like the original Alice had. Meanwhile, I'd have to talk to the Hatter, alone, and straighten this whole thing out. If he did have a crush on me, I'd have to let him down gently (he was Mad, after all), and remind him that I'd be leaving soon. And that would be the end of it.

"Come on, we have to get ready for dinner," Ali said. "And if I were you, I wouldn't wear anymore of his hats. It might encourage him."

I sighed and took off the one resting on my head. "There. Now, let's go get dressed. I have no idea what to wear, and I have a feeling that you're going to have to help me pick something out."

* * *

AN: Aw, the poor Hatter! I don't think he's going to take rejection very well, but then, you never know what will happen in Underland! Thanks for reading, and please review!


	5. A Royal Ball

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: Remember the Hatter dancing in the film? No, he's not fudderwacking in this story, but he will be dancing, and I'll bet we all know who he'll be dancing with. Have fun reading, and please review!

**Chapter 5: A Royal Ball:**

Much to our surprise, there was a troop of maids waiting when Ali and I arrived at my rooms. The maids all curtseyed the second they saw me, and one of them came forward to curtsey again as she explained their reason for being here.

"Her Majesty has declared that there is to be a ball this evening, my ladies, stretching from before dinner and continuing afterwards," she said. "There are maids waiting to attend you, Lady Alice, in your rooms. We will see to the Lady Laura."

Ali sighed and patted my shoulder. "I'll see you when we're done dressing," she whispered before heading out to her own suite.

I spent the next hour being bathed, perfumed, dressed, and primped. My outfit tonight was a Renaissance-style gown, with a golden satin under-dress showing from under a blue velvet over-gown. The blue over-gown had gold satin lined arm tippets, and there was a bit of gold trim around the waist.

Fortunately, my hair decided to be obedient today. The maids were gentle, so I wasn't tempted to chase them out of my room when they started combing it out. They brushed it back, and somehow managed to curl the ends, making it look like a brunette version of the White Queen's hair. To top it off, they set a sapphire and gold circlet on my head. I felt almost like royalty.

When I was deemed ready, they escorted me into the hallway, where Ali was waiting. She was gorgeous in pale blue-silver gown, and had a circlet like the one on my head. Smiling, Ali came up and wrapped me in a huge hug.

"You look gorgeous," she whispered. "Are you ready to dance your toes off?"

I laughed and squeezed her tightly. It was our private joke; Ali could move like nobody's business, but I would be the one watching and laughing from the sidelines, mostly because I couldn't dance.

As we separated, Ali wove her arm through mine and we both made our way down the hall, following a group of courtiers that were also heading for the ballroom. As we approached the large entryway, I paused.

"What's wrong?" Ali whispered, looking worried. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Ali, what if someone asks me to dance?" I whispered back in a panic. "I don't know how to dance!"

By now, I was terrified at what might happen. If anyone asked me to dance with them – and that was a pretty big 'if' – then I was screwed. I couldn't dance to save my life, and in this case, it felt like my life might be on the line if I _couldn't_ look good on the dance floor.

"Don't panic," Ali said, gripping my shoulders. "You'll be fine. We don't even know the dances of Underland, so no one will expect us to dance well at all."

Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm down. "You're right. But really, why would the Queen throw a ball if she knew we couldn't do their styles of dancing?"

Someone coughed politely, and I looked around before I realized the cough had come from closer to the ground. It was the White Rabbit, and as always, he looked nervous, the poor thing.

"Ladies, shall I announce your arrival?" he asked. "The Queen has not arrived yet, I'm afraid, but if you'd like to enter early, you may do so."

I smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "That's alright, we can wait. Will you let us know when she arrives?" He nodded, wiggled his whiskers, and hopped off.

Just as I was beginning to relax and think positive thoughts about the night, the Rabbit came back with the White Queen in tow. She, of course, looked glowingly beautiful and majestic in a white gown, and as always, she glided lightly across the floor. Man, what I wouldn't give to have her grace!

"Ah, wonderful, you're both here," she said, hands poised in the air. "Come along, the ball cannot begin without the guests of honor. Twisp, would you announce us, please?"

The Rabbit –Twisp, I guess – hopped into the ballroom and called out, "Her Royal Majesty, Mirana of Marmoreal, Queen of Underland. Lady Alice Kingsley, slayer of the Jabberwocky and hero of Underland. The Lady Laura, friend and companion of the Lady Alice Kingsley."

I tried not to sigh at the title given to me. It wasn't the grandest, but it was the first and only one I'd ever been given, so I guess it wasn't so bad. Besides, I felt odd having people bow or curtsey to me –at least they weren't close friends or anything, or else it would have been even weirder.

On the far side of the ballroom was a dais with a throne and two other chairs, just like in the throne room. Ali was put on the Queen's left, with me on her right, and after we were seated, the Queen nodded to the waiting orchestra, which immediately struck up a rather catchy tune. The courtiers immediately took to the floor and began an unusual dance I'd never seen before.

"Majesty, may I ask what that dance is called?" I said, leaning close to her.

"The Lobster Quadrille," she replied. "Of course, it is different on land than it is in the sea. We must do the dance without lobsters, as they do not fair too well out of the water. Sadly, when they are thrown into the air on land, they tend to injure themselves when landing on the ground. Thus, we were forced to improvise and leave out that part of the dance."

Well, that made sense, I guess…

Looking around the room, I saw the March Hare doing some kind of break-dancing in a jerky, twitching marionette kind of way, with Mallymkun standing nearby, laughing and clapping her paws. The Tweedle brothers were doing their own kind of dancing in a far corner, one that involved a lot of pushing, shoving, and hooking arms to do-see-do. I had to chuckle at that.

The Lobster Quadrille drew to a close, and I joined the Queen in applauding the dancers. Those who hadn't joined in the dance also clapped. Then a waltz was struck up, and a young gentleman approached Ali to dance, an offer she happily accepted.

'_Of course, she actually knows __**how**__ to waltz_.' Everyone in her family began dance lessons starting when they were five years old.

"My lady?" a familiar male voice asked.

I turned to look at whoever was speaking and saw it was the Mad Hatter. My stomach instantly froze and dropped to the floor. '_Why me_?' I asked, wondering which deity was punishing me like this.

"Would you care for a dance?" he asked, smiling broadly as he took off his hat, bowed slightly, and offered me an orange-speckled hand.

For this, I had a perfect excuse _not_ to dance with him. "I'm afraid I cannot dance," I told him. "Alice has had lessons, but I've no experience whatsoever. Besides, I do not know any Underland dances."

That only made him grin even wider, those odd eyes of his lighting up with excitement. "Leave it to me," the Hatter said, donning his hat once more. "I will have you dancing perfectly in no time."

Before I could protest, the Hatter had taken my hand and pulled me from my seat. I was still trying to catch my breath as he pulled me onto the dance floor, his right arm wrapping around my waist as the other lifted my right hand.

"Shall we?" he asked, grinning happily. Without waiting for me to answer, he swept me into a waltz.

After a few steps, I had to admit that the man was a great dancer, but my brain reminded me that _I_ wasn't, and that we'd fall out of step quickly. But as much as I wanted to tell him we should stop, I didn't want to hurt the Hatter's feelings.

'_I'm way too sensitive that way_,' I thought, following his lead. '_Besides, he'll find out soon enough how bad and inexperienced I am at this_.'

But as the dance went on, he somehow managed to keep me in step and in time, which was impossible…wasn't it? Yet here I was, gliding around the ballroom floor as though I knew every step.

'_How is he doing this_?' I wondered, stealing glances at my feet in surprise. '_I mean, I haven't had a dance lesson in my life, so how am I moving through the steps without any trouble_?'

What kind of magic did he possess? I knew this was Underland, and that it was probably full of magic, but this was beyond anything I'd ever thought possible. You couldn't turn a clumsy girl like me into a dancing diva in thirty seconds!

I looked up at the Hatter, and was unnerved by the pleased grin he was giving me. Apparently he knew how good of a dancer he was, and he was using this marvelous skill of his to keep me from tripping over my own feet.

Suddenly, the waltz changed to something else, and we began to dance a bit faster. The Hatter swung me around in graceful circles around the floor, and even spun me a few times. Each time he spun me out and pulled me back, I swear he was pulling me a bit closer and holding me a bit tighter, as though he were afraid of accidentally spinning me off the dance floor. I didn't dare protest, since his face now was a mixture of concentration and joyful excitement. The last thing I needed was for him to break his concentration.

Within minutes, I could sense the music building to a climax, and knew that something big was going to happen at the end of the dance. I could feel it in the song, and see it on the Hatter's face. Faster we danced, and just when I was starting to lose my breath, the Hatter pulled me flush against him, and then bent me back into a dip.

"Oh!" I gasped, looking at the upside-down ballroom.

When I began get dizzy, I pulled my head up and found those otherworldly orbs staring at me. There was a very broad smile on the Hatter's face, one that said that he was very happy and very proud at having finished this dance successfully.

I heard people moving around us, and cleared my throat. "I don't suppose you could help me stand?" I asked, swallowing nervously.

That seemed to snap him out of whatever was going on in his head. "Of course," he replied, slowly pulling back to a standing position. "You dance very well, Lady Laura."

I blushed and shook my head. "Actually, _you_ dance very well -I was just along for the ride. And you can call me Laura; I'm not really a lady."

"If you are a friend of Alice's, then you are a fine lady indeed," the Hatter replied, offering his arm. "But if it is your wish, I shall call you Laura."

To my surprise, I took his arm and allowed him to lead me back to my seat beside the Queen. After I'd resumed my seat, a page boy arrived bearing a silver tray with a tall silver chalice. I looked at it doubtfully, wondering if it was safe or not.

"It's merely something to refresh you, Laura," the Queen assured me. "That dance looked positively exhausting."

I blushed and took the cup. "Yes, well, the Hatter is a superb dancer," I replied, trying not to look at the man himself, who had taken a guard-like stance beside my chair. However, I could see him preen at my praise, and knew I was doing the opposite of what I was _supposed_ to, which was _dis_couraging him, _not_ encouraging.

My thoughts were pulled back to the present when I saw Ali approaching, without her dance partner.

"How do you like the hats that Tarrant has made for you, Alice?" the Queen asked. "I made sure to have someone leave them in your room."

Wondering who Tarrant was, I blinked. I then remembered that the Hatter had an actual name, just like everyone else. However, he would always be the Mad Hatter to me; with those outlandish looks and his personality, it was hard not to.

Ali looked as though she wanted to say something negative about the Hatter's work, but when I discreetly shook my head at her, she put on a diplomatic face. "I'm afraid I haven't looked at them yet, Majesty," she replied. "With so many events taking place, I had not even the time to open a box, much less see what was inside them."

That was true enough. Plus, considering we were at a ball and wearing formalwear, a hat was not part of the evening's attire –well, except in the Hatter's case, of course. But then, he was the exception to the rule.

Beside me, the Hatter stiffened slightly, and I could swear I saw a flash of anger, hurt, or annoyance in his eyes. Guessing he was upset with Ali's lack of appreciation for his hard work, I decided that now was probably a good time to do some damage control.

"Perhaps you and I can look through them tomorrow morning," I said, putting on a smile. "Tonight we'll be too tired to look at them properly, but tomorrow I'll help you try them on and see which ones suit you."

Ali blinked, then nodded. "That sounds like a good idea," she replied, pasting on her own smile. "Thank you, Laura. I appreciate that."

Glancing out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Hatter's posture relax. Biting back a sigh of relief, I took a sip from the cup in my hand, and blinked as a thousand tiny bubbles exploded on my tongue. The drink seemed to be a sparkling berry cider. It was delicious.

When I was finished, the page boy returned and took away the empty cup. As soon as my hands were free, the Hatter stepped up and asked me for another dance. I didn't want to say yes, but I didn't want to be stuck as a wallflower, either. Ali gave me a warning look, but I chose to ignore it. I'd had enough of standing in the sidelines; it was time for me to have some fun.

Again I was led onto the dance floor, only this time, it was a much slower dance, kind of like the ones we had back home. The beat was slow, and many couples were gently swaying across the floor in each other's arms. I hadn't expected that, but it was too late to back out now.

The Hatter carefully pulled me close, and we began to move slowly around the ballroom.

* * *

Something was happening, he was sure of that. A strange sensation was growing inside, and whenever she touched his hand, that sensation grew stronger. What the feeling was, he didn't know, but he knew that because of this young lady, great and wonderful things were going to happen to him.

Looking at his dance partner, Tarrant couldn't help beaming as that feeling grew just the tiniest bit.

* * *

I could feel him staring at me, and knew that I had to stop things before they got too far.

"Hatter, may I speak with you, privately?" I asked, hoping that it didn't come out the wrong way. "It's important."

"Of course," he said, immediately leading me away from the ballroom and out onto a great marble balcony. "What did you wish to speak of? I've always wanted to know why a raven is like a writing desk. Do you know the answer?"

I stared at him for a second. Okay, that was odd. But back to the reason we were out here.

"Hatter, it's come to my attention that perhaps you feel something deeper than friendship for me," I said, looking off in another direction. "And I would like to know if this is true."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. I noticed something glimmer in his eyes, and wondered what he was thinking about.

* * *

Well, this certainly was a puzzle. _Did_ he feel something more than friendship for this girl? Part of him said 'yes,' and there wasn't a single thing inside that said 'no.'

'_Therefore, it must be true_,' he reasoned, a smile on his lips.

Besides, he liked being with Laura. She was kind and could dance, and she got along well with the flowers. Best of all, she liked his hats.

The Hatter looked at her and nodded. "I think it is true," he told her.

She looked surprised and, strangely, a bit sad. "Oh," she whispered, looking at her hands. "Oh, dear. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this."

Now he was puzzled. Why did she look so uncomfortable? Had he said something wrong?

"Hatter," Laura said, wringing her hands together. "You know that we can't be more than friends, don't you?" The Hatter felt his heart sink, but she was not finished. "I mean, you _know_ I'll have to return home with Alice once the Queen's celebrations are over, and that will be the last we see of each other. It just wouldn't work."

"You could stay," he whispered, repeating the words he'd once said to Alice, so long ago.

Alice, of course, had refused –she'd had much to do back home, and could not remain while things were left unfinished. Now he said the same to Laura, but this time, it was different. Laura's staying in Underland was somehow more vital to him than it'd been with Alice.

"I can't," she said. "My family and friends are there. If I were to stay in Underland, I'd have to have a reason, a _real_ reason, to stay behind. And I'm afraid I don't have one."

He understood that. "For a person to go or stay anywhere, they must have a reason, even if it's just a small one." The Hatter quickly began to think. "So you will stay as long as Alice remains here?"

Laura looked over at him, surprised by his question. "Of course I will. We're friends, and friends stand by one another."

That was all he needed to hear. "Good."

* * *

I watched in surprise as the Hatter turned and walked away. "Okay, that was weird," I muttered.

Maybe I'd gotten through to him? He'd seemed a little lost in thought when he'd left, so maybe I had. If so, that was a very good thing; I didn't want to leave the poor guy brokenhearted when Alice and I left this place.

'_I hope I wasn't too hard on him. I just couldn't let this go further than it already had_.'

Sighing, I turned and headed back inside, just as the White Rabbit was announcing dinner. Hopefully, I wouldn't be seated near the Hatter; I didn't think my conscience could handle it.

* * *

AN: Hmm, sounds like the Hatter is up to something. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	6. Arguments and Hats

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: More Hatter-Laura bonding in this chapter. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Chapter 6: Arguments and Hats:**

Dinner wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, probably because the Hatter was seated on the far side of the table from me, making it impossible for the two of us to talk.

This evening, the Queen had decided to change the seating arrangements, with all her guests of honor seated at the high table with her. Tonight, she placed Ali on her right, and me to _Ali's_ right so that we could talk.

To the Queen's left was someone we hadn't met before: the Dodo. Apparently he'd been out wandering around Underland, and had recently returned with news, stories, and gossip that he thought the Queen would be interested in. Next to the Dodo was the White Rabbit, who was also happy to hear the news around Underland. After the Rabbit was the Hatter, who was falling over laughing with Mallymkun as the March Hare tried to juggle tea cups and glasses.

To my right was, I was happy to see, Chessur, the Cheshire Cat. Then came the twins, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, who were busy stuffing themselves silly. Thankfully, they were being neat about it.

As we were served our scrumptious meal, with course after course put in front of us, I had a fun time eating next to Chessur. When he wasn't daintily nibbling out of his dish, Chess would occasionally make different parts of his body disappear, like his tail, his body (but not his paws), or maybe his entire body while leaving his head behind. It was kind of dizzying, watching the kaleidoscope of cat body parts disappear and reappear, but it was also kind of funny. I think that Chess only did it to make me laugh, and I quickly learned that I was right.

"You are a strange young woman, Laura," he said, looking over at me as we waited for dessert. "Not many would find my vaporizing acts amusing. I'm glad to see that you are someone with a sense of humor."

"Oh, I like a good laugh," I said, smiling as his ears vanished, along with his back legs. "As long as the joke is in good taste, of course."

"Of course," Chess purred as the vanished parts reappeared. "And it's always so hard to find someone with a decent taste in humor."

As dishes of strawberries in cream were set down, I had to know something. "May I ask you something?" He nodded. "Where have you been lately? I haven't seen you around since the day you arrived for the celebrations."

Chess grinned broadly. "I've been around," he replied, picking up a berry with a paw and popping it into his mouth. "Sometimes over here, sometimes over there, and sometimes no place _in_ Marmoreal at all, but merely around it."

Okay, that was a bit too cryptic and mind-bending for me, but I'll go along with it. "Have you been having fun? I can't imagine you being bored, not with all these interesting people around."

He ate another strawberry and licked the cream off his whiskers. "Well, the Queen has a marvelous library, so if by chance I do become bored, I find something entertaining to pass the time with there. Have you seen the library?"

We then began talking about the different books, scrolls, and documents stored in the immense library of the Queen, and Chess made sure to suggest a few for me to read. I promised I'd do my best to visit the library in the morning, or at least the afternoon, and look at his suggestions.

"Excellent," he purred, after he swallowed the last bit of his dessert. "I'll see you tomorrow sometime, shall I?"

Then, without waiting for me to answer, he disappeared. I chuckled and tucked into my own dessert. Oh, boy, did I love strawberries!

"Finally," Ali whispered to me. "I thought he'd _never_ leave. I've been wanting to talk to you forever about the Hatter, and you've spent the entire meal talking to a cat."

"Yes, but he's a _talking_ cat who can appear and disappear," I replied absently. Then I realized I'd been rude to my best friend. "I'm sorry," I said, looking over at her. "I thought you were busy eating. What did you want to say?"

She sighed. "Never mind. We'll go to your room later and talk."

* * *

Although there was a quieter ball after dinner, I was too tired to go. The Queen kindly dismissed me for the night, then allowed Ali to join me. However, before we left, there were a few things she wanted us to know.

"There will be a ball for the next two nights," the Queen informed us. "On the third night, the final night of the celebrations, there will be a picnic and fireworks. Then, dear Alice and Laura, you may choose to return to your realm, or remain here in Underland, a gift bestowed upon few who have entered here."

I was shocked at the offer. After all, I hadn't done anything to deserve staying here, and neither had Ali. Maybe they had offered the first Alice a chance to stay and she'd refused? If so, then this was a second chance for them to have "Alice" stay in Underland.

'_But what about me_?' I wondered. '_Why would they want __**me**__ to stay_?'

It was an honor, I was sure, but I'd only been here a few days. Was it because I was "Alice's" friend? Or had she noticed the way the Hatter was acting around me?

'_Well, they're going to be in for a big surprise when I decide to go home_.'

Ali and I both headed for our rooms, and after we'd changed into our nightgowns, I let her inside my own. We both sat cross-legged on my bed, wrapped up in warm shawls of soft lamb's wool. A fire was going in the fireplace, and in the light of the fire and the moonlight through the windows, it made the whole room surreal.

"Okay," Ali said, looking at me. "Spill. I saw you and the Hatter go out to the balcony. What did you guys talk about?"

I told her how I'd tried to let him down gently, and that he seemed to take it pretty well, though he did seem a bit reserved. "I wish I didn't have to do it, but I didn't have a choice," I said, feeling extremely guilty.

Ali reached out and patted my hand. "It was necessary," she reminded me. "We're going home in a few days, and that will be the end of it. Who knows, he might forget all about us after we're gone. He _is_ insane, you know."

I shook my head. "I'm not so sure about that. Yes, he's a bit nutty, but I don't think he's lost all his marbles yet. There's still something buried deep inside him that hasn't completely turned wacky. I don't know what it is, but I don't think the Hatter's as crazy as we think."

My friend looked at me in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding," she said. "I mean, he's called the _Mad_ Hatter for a reason. I know you like to think the best about people, but you've got to admit, the name's a dead giveaway."

Now, there she might be wrong. I know I saw something in his eyes that wasn't insanity. What it was, I couldn't name yet, but it was there. On the other hand, he _was_ slightly off his rocker, so there was that to consider. So was he crazy, or wasn't he?

'_Oh, man, my head is starting to hurt_,' I thought with a wince.

"Okay, let's talk about this tomorrow," I told her. Ali reluctantly agreed, and we said our goodnights.

Unfortunately, my night would be anything but good, because I spent it tossing and turning, thoughts of a certain Hatter floating in my head.

* * *

I woke the next morning feeling groggy and worn out. The maid that came in to wake me took one look at my exhausted face and immediately went to the windows, shutting the curtains tightly so that the room was dark.

"Go back to sleep, my lady," she gently told me. "You're in no shape to be up early this morning. I will give your excuses to the Queen, and will wake you in time to dress for luncheon."

After I closed my eyes again, I slept far better than I had last night. I woke feeling refreshed, and my maid helped me dress in a simple green dress –no embroidery, not much lace, and the material was light and cool for the afternoon. I welcomed the summery feel it gave me while wearing it.

The Queen and Ali were already in the gardens, seated at a round lunch table with a light meal laid out. The Queen welcomed me with a smile, and commented that I still looked rather tired.

"You should rest after luncheon, Laura," she said gently. "Alice and I are going to walk the gardens together. You may join us if you wish, but I do think a bit of time inside would be best for you."

I couldn't disagree with that. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I believe I shall spend my afternoon in the library, if that is permitted."

"A fine idea," she replied. "You may read whatever you'd like. There is much to choose from."

Once more, I thanked her, and ate lunch quietly as Ali and Queen Mirana chatted about their walk this afternoon. I guess people did a lot of walking in the English countryside, because Ali knew a lot about trails, flowers, plants, and weather.

When the meal ended, I curtseyed to the Queen and went inside, asking a passing maid where the library was located. She pointed the way, and I soon found myself in heaven. I immediately began searching the shelves for anything that looked interesting, and knew that it'd be impossible to carry all those books even to a nearby table. In the end, I went looking for some of the texts that the Cheshire Cat recommended. I soon found a history book about Underland, and sat down in a comfy chair near a window to read.

An hour later, I knew that we were in trouble. The last half of the book was about Alice Kingsley, Ali's ancestor, so either the Cheshire Cat knew that Ali was a fraud, or he wanted me to learn how brave my dear friend "Alice" truly was. It was most likely the former than the latter.

'_We are __**so**__ screwed_,' I thought, trying not to panic. I had to show this to Ali, and fast. Hopefully, she and the Queen were finished with their walk in the gardens. I mean, how long could a garden walk take, anyway?

I tucked the book under my arm and tried to slowly and calmly make my way to Ali's room. I was lucky; she was back from her walk and sitting by the window. Best of all, she was alone. I quietly closed the door and went over to her.

"Ali, you've got to see this," I said, giving her the history book I had.

She took a look at the title and winced. "Laura, I _really_ don't want to know about Underland's history."

I huffed and thrust the book at her insistently. "Ali, the Cheshire Cat told me to read this," I said. "The last half of it is about your ancestor, Alice Kingsley! I think he either wanted me to have more respect for "Alice," or he suspects something about you. You haven't done anything stupid, have you, that could give us away?"

Ali grew pale, and I began to think that she might know what I was talking about. "Ali," I slowly drawled. "Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

She cleared her throat. "Well, there were a few times where I sort of…vented. I mean, we're in a strange world that belongs in the fiction section of a public library! Can you blame me for letting off a bit of steam when I'm alone?"

Knocking one of our heads against the wall was starting to look very tempting. "Ali, you can't assume that a room is empty in this world! I mean, hello, the flowers can talk and understand speech! If you say or do something obvious, and someone suspects the truth, who knows what they'll do to us?" I said, glaring at her. "And considering the invisibility powers of the Cheshire Cat, he could _see_ you throwing a tantrum, and _hear_ what you say, then report it to the Queen!"

I hated treating Ali like a little kid, but right now, she was acting like one, and it was beginning to tick me off. I know she hated being under the weight of her family's history (which she didn't much care for in the first place), but seriously! Couldn't she actually _think_ before she acted?

She stood up, furious. "You think this is easy for me? Do you know how crazy this is, pretending to be someone you're not? I hate the etiquette I have to always act out here, which is almost as bad as what I'd learned back home. Plus, everyone here likes me because they think I'm Alice; they don't like me because I'm Ali. Plus, I'm a modern girl; I outgrew talking animals and dressing up in princess dresses when I was ten! This is way less than fun for me!"

Now it was my turn to be mad. "Hey, this was _your_ idea. _You_ wanted attention, _you_ wanted to stay here and see what all this was about, and _you_ thought this would all be fun and games!"

"It is supposed to be fun and games! I didn't think it'd be like English society, all formal balls, rounds of croquet, banquets in huge dining rooms, and garden lunches!" Ali snapped. "And what are you complaining about? You've won over the whole Underland gang, so it's not like you've got anything to worry about. And you didn't have to stay; you could have gone home easily!"

By now, I was fuming. "_I'm_ here because I'm your friend, and I won't go home without you. And don't think you can pin this on me, Alice Elizabeth Cunningham! The only person you have to blame about all this is yourself!"

Turning, I stormed out of the room and threw open the door. I thought I heard Ali call my name, but ignored her. Instead, I went to my own room to do some venting of my own. Luckily, the place was empty, so I locked the door behind me and tried not to throw anything –the last thing I wanted to do was break something I'd have to pay for!

After pacing my room in silence for about half an hour, my temper cooled down to the point where I could think clearly, and where I no longer wanted to break something to make me feel better. That was good, because someone chose that moment to knock on my door.

Taking a quick look in the mirror to make sure I looked alright, I went to the door and found the trippy neon-green eyes of the Hatter looking down at me.

"Good afternoon!" he said, greeting me with a cheerful grin. "I was hoping to show you my workshop here in Marmoreal. Would you like to see it?"

Now, this could be tricky ground. First, I didn't want to encourage the Hatter in any way, for obvious reasons, and going anywhere with him might not be a good idea.

On the other hand, I was bored, and I was angry at Ali, so I didn't want to see her just now. I didn't feel like being by myself, either, because that would only make me feel down and alone. Besides, Ali and I would be leaving in a few days, so what did I have to lose?

"I'd be delighted," I said, smiling.

His smile broadened into a full grin as he offered me his arm.

* * *

I'd never been in a hat shop before, but I had a feeling that it would look nothing like the Mad Hatter's workshop.

The place was full of all kinds of beautiful, colorful materials –velvets, silks, satins, taffeta, and any other material that could be made into a hat. All of these stood in bolts on shelves, like a library, and scattered everywhere were tables, all of them covered in bits and pieces of hat materials. They also held old Victorian age sewing machines, all of which had to be worth a fortune.

On top and in between the tables were dozens of model heads, each one bearing a hat of some kind. I saw that most of the hats were in various stages of completion, though some looked like they were finished.

And oh, the _hats_!

I'd thought the ones he'd made me were impressive, but these were incredible. There were big hats, small hats, medium hats, and they all came in different shapes, styles, and colors. Some had ribbons dangling off of them, others had taffeta bows, and a good many had polka dots, zigzag lines, or even bird designs printed on them. I saw several with bird feathers (or even fake birds) sticking out of them! It bordered between bizarre and cool.

"Wow," I whispered, looking around. It gave me a new appreciation for the Hatter, and for the hats he'd made me, all of which were still sitting in my room. I wish I'd thought to wear one when he'd invited me to visit.

"Do you like them?" the Hatter asked, looking both eager and nervous. "Most aren't finished yet, but I should have a few done by nightfall."

He then proceeded to give me a tour of the place, starting with his design table, and moving to show me the various pieces he was working on. Even though I shouldn't, I praised him for the magnificent work he had done.

"I mostly craft for the Queen, you know, but sometimes, inspiration comes, and I must answer," he told me. "Those that she does not wear are given to her courtiers, or to anyone who wishes to have one of my hats."

"Oh, look at that one!" I exclaimed. It was a midnight-blue, mini tricorn hat with silver star-shaped gems on it. There was also a short silver veil that the wearer could pull over her face, or toss up over the hat itself if she didn't want to wear it down.

By now, the Hatter was practically bouncing where he stood. "It's not finished yet, I think," he said, lifting it off the mannequin head it was on. "There's something missing to it, but I haven't found what it is yet."

I gave it a closer look. "You could add something to the back of it," I suggested. "It looks like it needs something at the back."

Watching the Hatter's face light up was like watching lightning hit a pile of neon Christmas lights –it was terrifying, but fascinating, all at the same time.

"That's brilliant!" he cried, running over to a wall full of spools of ribbons.

After a few seconds of humming what sounded like the Lobster Quadrille, he located a wide spool of midnight-blue ribbon with silver stars printed on it. After measuring out a good length of it, he tied it in a large bow, and stitched it onto the back of the tricorn hat.

"There, finished," he declared before presenting it to me. "For you, my lady."

I stared at the gift he was giving me. "Oh, I couldn't. I'm sure there's a lady at court who could wear it better than I could."

"But you _are_ a lady at court," he stated, as though it were obvious.

Swallowing nervously, I had to admit, it was a beautiful hat. Besides, I had several others he'd given me, so one more couldn't hurt, right? And so, smiling politely, I took the hat from his hands.

"And it will keep the sun off your lovely face," the Hatter said, grinning as wide as the Cheshire Cat.

My heart sank when he said that, and I knew I'd made a mistake –he still had a crush on me, and I'd encouraged him. But it was too late to give the hat back; it would be rude, and my parents had always taught me to never be rude.

"Thank you," I whispered, mentally going over what I should do now.

* * *

Later that afternoon, as he led the Lady Laura back to her rooms, Tarrant felt a swell of happiness and pride. He had impressed her, he knew, with his skills at hat making. It was a family trait, and Tarrant Hightopp was honored to be hat maker to the White Queen. Now he had a new reason to be proud: he had impressed the young woman he admired.

Now, Tarrant didn't know why he felt connected to this girl, but there was something about her that seemed to fit well in Underland. Chess, the Cheshire Cat, liked her because she liked cats. The flowers liked her because she had a respect for them that Alice, so far, hadn't shown. And Mallymkun liked the look of her so far, and Mally was usually a good judge of character.

Yes, some part of this girl belonged to Underland, and if Tarrant had his way, she would stay here, where she belonged.

If his plan went well, of course.

* * *

AN: Please review! Thanks!


	7. Romance and Squabbles

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: A little romance and drama make for a good chapter, I think. Enjoy, and please don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Chapter 7: Romance and Squabbles:**

I'd expected dinner to be tense, but it wasn't. Thankfully, it was served outside, under a huge, open-aired white tent, and Ali and I were seated separately from each other, thank goodness. The Queen sat at the center of the large rectangular table, with me on her left and Ali on her right. The Hatter sat beside me to my left, and beyond him was Mallymkun, followed by the March Hare.

Beside Ali was the Dodo, followed by the White Rabbit and the Tweedle twins (I still couldn't tell them apart). I could sense that she wasn't happy, probably because she didn't want to be here, but refusing our hostess wasn't a good idea.

As for me, I didn't want to be here, either. After the argument I'd had with Ali, and the realization that I'd probably been encouraging the Hatter when I should have been doing otherwise, had made me want to lock myself in my room for the night. However, after leaving the Hatter's workroom (regrettably, with the Hatter as an escort), I'd found a maid in my quarters, and been forced to dress for dinner.

So here I was, choking down food while major life issues swarmed in my head. First, I had to talk to Ali about this whole charade she was carrying on and convince her to tell everyone the truth. Second, I had to let down the Hatter by bluntly telling him there was no way I could return his feelings. And finally, I had to plan a way for Ali and me to survive after announcing that Ali wasn't Alice Kingsley.

Okay, maybe my priorities were a little out of sync, but that was beside the point. Right now, I was struggling just to make it through the meal without a migraine or being sick all over the beautiful dining table.

"What's wrong, my dear?" purred a soft voice from above my head.

Surprised, my head jerked upwards. It was the Cheshire Cat, grinning at me as he drifted to float right in front of me at the level of my head. I had to smile at the way his tail twitched lazily as he hovered there, head turning this way and that as he looked at me with wide, blue-green eyes.

"Not much," I softly replied, looking down at my plate. Thankfully, the Queen was too busy talking to Ali to notice what I was saying. "I just have a lot on my plate, I guess."

"Hmm, I can see that," Chessur said, reaching down to swipe a bit of meat off my plate with a paw. "And that usually means that something's troubling you."

"I don't want to talk about it," I muttered, spearing a bit of vegetable and stuffing it in my mouth. This was to keep me from blurting out my problems, as well as keep me busy.

Chess swallowed his mouthful of my food and turned over on his back, the grin fading from his face. In fact, he looked a bit worried. "My dearest Laura, it pains me to see a cat-lover in pain. But if you will not speak now, I will find you later and we'll talk then."

With that, he vanished, leaving me with the sudden urge to burst into tears. I managed to choke them back with the promise that I'd cry them all out later, after dinner was over.

"He's right, Laura," the Hatter whispered to me. "You don't look well. Would you rather rest than attend the ball this evening?"

Crap, I'd forgotten there was another ball tonight. "No, I'm alright. Actually, I think it might ease my spirits a bit to go to the ball."

He seemed to perk up at that, which only made my guts clench. Damn it, I was encouraging him again; I really aught to think before I say anything to this man.

Finally, dinner ended, and to my surprise, the ball was going to be held in an outdoor courtyard. As before, Ali and I took seats on either side of the Queen, and watched the courtiers pair up on the dance floor. The orchestra struck up a lively tune, and the dancing began.

I wasn't expecting to have fun, but after a minute or two, my toes began to tap, and my spirits rose. I watched in amusement as the March Hare picked up Mallymkun and swung the tiny mouse around the dance floor, the two of them laughing like crazy idiots. It was cute.

"My lady?" asked a soft, familiar voice. It was the Hatter, his top hat in one hand, the other beckoning towards me, and a pleading look on his face. "Will you come and join the dance?"

Common sense warred with my emotions. I wanted to refuse, because I couldn't keep unintentionally stringing the poor guy along; it was cruel to do so. However, part of me just wanted to toss everything out the window and go have fun. I could feel Ali glaring at me from her chair, and knew that what she wanted me to do, because it was what I _should_ do: refuse the Hatter and sit there, quietly, on my chair.

Apparently, my hand had other ideas, because the next thing I knew, my fingers were in his palm, and we were heading out to join the other dancers.

I may have mentioned it before, but the Hatter is a fantastic dancer. Even though I didn't know the steps, he somehow managed to keep the both of us in time with the others. I spun, dipped, and kicked my heels up with the rest of them, and had a lot of fun in the process. It was exactly what I needed to lighten my spirits.

Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and I was worn out, both from the dancing and from the day's events. I needed a quiet walk in the gardens to quiet my mind, and then intended to head for bed. After explaining that to the Hatter, he offered to take me on a tour of the Royal Gardens, but I refused, saying that I needed solitude. He seemed sad, but allowed me to head off on my own, though not before pointing out the shortest, most direct path back to the castle.

I made sure to thank him before heading down that small white stone pathway. It wasn't long before the music of the ball faded behind me, and I was in an open space of green with no flowers present. It was peaceful, and I relished it.

Too bad it didn't last.

"There you are," purred the Cheshire Cat, appearing in front of me. "Are you ready to tell me what's got your tail in knots?"

I sighed. There's just no arguing with some people. "To put it bluntly, Alice and I had a quarrel earlier today, and we haven't spoken since," I told him. "We're both in the angry-and-slightly-sulking stage right now, but by tomorrow morning, things will be fine. This isn't our first fight with each other, and not likely the last."

"Ah, squabbles between friends," the Cat said, grinning. "Yes, I can see why you'd be so upset. Still, if it will make you feel better, you may scratch my head."

I could never refuse the chance to pet a cat, so I did. What's funny is that he was right; I _did_ feel better scratching his head. With the sound of his purr and the feel of it lightly vibrating through my fingers, it was very soothing to both my mind and my spirit.

"Thank you," I said, pulling my hand away from his soft-as-smoke fur. "I think I feel well enough to sleep decently tonight. Thank you, Chess."

"You're welcome, dearest Laura," he said, slowly fading away to nothing.

Chuckling, I walked back to my rooms, eager to fall into soft pillows and warm blankets.

* * *

Tarrant Hightopp had always been sensitive to emotions, especially his own, though occasionally to others as well. In the case of the Laura, he felt particularly acute to what she was feeling.

Tonight, for instance, had been heartbreaking to him. He could feel how sad and disheartened she was before he showed her his workshop, and at dinner, it tore at him to see her pick at her meal like a sick little bird. Tarrant wanted to help her, but did not think it would be welcome, nor wise; Laura did not fully trust him yet, and since she was still trying to resist his attentions, his offer of aid would only drive her further away.

After the meal came his chance at making her smile again: the evening ball. He knew she'd liked dancing with him before, and this was a grand opportunity to make Laura happy again. So, he gently approached her and asked for a dance.

Much to his joy, she'd accepted. One dance turned into two, then two into three, and so on. For an hour he spun her around the dance floor, the movements lifting her spirits and even causing a faint smile to form on her small, pretty mouth. He liked that mouth; it suited her.

Eventually, the night caught up with her, and Tarrant was forced to let her go. She was tired, and if she didn't sleep, it would not be good for her health. He suggested a path he thought she would like, and sent her off, though not alone. He wanted to make sure she returned to the palace in one piece, and so he followed her at a distance, watching carefully to make sure Laura was alright.

He had not expected to see Chessur appear before her, quietly asking questions she clearly did not like. Seeing Laura become anxious made Tarrant's blood begin to burn, and he felt anger begin to boil up inside. Then, when she began to scratch the Cat's head, causing him to purr, Tarrant grew even angrier.

Luckily, a moment later, Chess vanished in a puff of smoke, and Laura continued on into the confines of the palace. With them gone, Tarrant managed to get his temper under control, though it took a lot of deep breathing and concentration to do so. And ironically, just as his temper was cooled, Chessur appeared at his shoulder.

"You know, it's very rude to eavesdrop," he said, smirking in that cat way of his.

Once again, Tarrant's blood began to boil. "And _what_ were you doing with Laura?" he growled, his normally calm voice becoming harsh as his Scottish accent grew more apparent. "What could you possibly want with a human girl, you sniveling, stinking, gutless, manipulative–?"

"Now, now, none of that," Chess calmly chided him. "I'm not interested in her the way you are. I simply like the way she scratches my head. Not many people indulge me that way, and I like being spoiled." He grinned even wider. "Besides, she's a fascinating young thing, don't you agree? I've never seen a woman from the Above Realm take so well to our world, have you?"

Well, he had to agree with that. Breathing deeply, Tarrant felt some of his anger ease, but not all of it. He glad that Chess wasn't interested in Laura (at least, not in that way), but he was still rather jealous that his friend had managed to gain Laura's warmth and affection where _he_ had not.

'_I don't like being jealous_,' he thought, slowly forcing himself to be calm. '_It makes things so terribly dark and terrible for me_.'

In all his life, Tarrant had rarely been jealous of anyone or anything. In fact, it had been so long since he'd been jealous, he couldn't remember the last time it had happened. Today was a horrible reminder of how miserable it could make a person feel.

Meanwhile, Chess was giving him the most annoying look, one that said the Cat knew exactly what was going on inside his friend's head. "Really, Tarrant, I do envy you. If she were a feline, I'd snatch her up quicker than I can vaporize. Lucky you, to have her be the same species as you are."

He felt amazingly smug at that last comment. Chess was a charming fellow, but it was Tarrant Hightopp, Hatter to the White Queen, who would win fair lady's heart.

"However," Chess drawled, his face becoming unusually solemn, "I'd be careful if I were you."

Tarrant immediately grew on edge. Chess was only this dramatic when he had a reason to be.

Bright blue eyes looked into neon green. "There is something that our two female visitors are hiding, a secret they don't want us to know," Chess warned. "The secret seems to be Alice's, and Laura, dear girl that she is, is apparently keeping the secret for her friend's sake, much to the poor girl's unhappiness. If I were you, I would look into that matter…preferably before you fall even harder for the girl than you already have."

With that, the feline vanished, leaving Tarrant to his thoughts. If Laura did have a secret that she was keeping for Alice's sake, that was admirable of her. However, if this secret threatened the happiness of the Queen, or of Laura herself, then it was something that must be revealed and dealt with. He did not want Laura to be unhappy, ever.

He had to find out what it was they were hiding, and soon.

* * *

I slept peacefully and woke up feeling cheerful. The maid came bustling in to serve breakfast, and to tell me that the Queen and the rest of the court was still asleep. Apparently a late night had been had by everyone except me –well, me and one other person: Ali.

"The Lady Alice is awake and breakfasting," the maid announced when she returned for the empty meal tray. "Would you care to visit her this morning?"

That was exactly what I had in mind. "Yes, please," I said.

In an hour, I was dressed in a pale rose velvet gown. Normally, pink and I didn't go together, but it looked okay and it was comfortable, so I didn't complain. There was, oddly enough, a pink hat to go with it, which happened to be one of the pieces the Hatter had made for me.

Actually, the hat was more like a headpiece worn during the Tudor era in England: a crescent moon shaped cap with a long veil hanging down the back. This one was pink, to match my dress, and had small white and pink rosettes outlining the crescent shape of the headpiece. And not only did look nice, it kept my hair in place, thank goodness.

Dressed and ready to go, I headed for Ali's rooms, and knocked on the door. "Just a minute!" she called, right before she opened the door. "Oh."

'_Yeah, she sounds __**so**__ excited to see me_,' I thought sarcastically. Out loud, I asked, "May I come in? We need to talk."

* * *

We sat there, silent, for about five minutes before I got impatient enough to say something.

"Look, Ali, we have to talk about this whole charade you've got going on," I bluntly told her. "We can't keep lying to the Queen and everyone. They're good people, and it's not right. You have to tell them the truth."

She crossed her arms. "Yeah, sure, like that will be easy, especially when you're lying as much as I am. If you're so set on doing what's right, why haven't _you_ told them the truth, then?"

"I haven't told them because it's not my place to," I retorted. "_You_ started this whole thing and dragged me into it. I've just been playing along with your little dance, going with the flow that you started." I crossed my arms. "Plus, for the record, I haven't lied to them about who I am. I've told them that I am a long-time friend of Alice – which you are, though you go by your nickname – and that we've been friends since we met at school. That is the truth."

Ali couldn't find fault with that, though she looked like she was trying to. "Fine. What if I did tell them the truth? Do you think they'll just let us go on our way without facing some kind of punishment? I know that the White Queen isn't her sister –she isn't going to behead us for lying to her. She might lock us up, or whatever punishment she thinks fits the crime, but she won't torture or kill us. And if she does want to hold us prisoner for a while, it will be better than being dead. But do we want to take that chance?" Ali asked, looking pointedly at me.

Moralistic as I may be, I know I didn't want to risk the dungeons. Who knows how long we'd be down there before being released? And what about getting back home? Would we even be sent home, or would we have to go through a test or trial of some kind before we found our way back to our world?

By now, Ali was rubbing her temples. "I think we should just keep our mouths shut until it's time for us to go home. I know the Queen offered to let us stay here permanently, but that wouldn't be a good idea. We should just stay quiet until the day we leave, and then we'll announce we're going home together. I'll stop making scenes in private, if it'll make you feel better, and when it comes down to it, they'll never know."

"But what if the Cheshire Cat tells the Queen he suspects you of being a fake?" I asked, glaring at her. "The Queen might ask you to prove you're Alice and put you through some sort of test anyway. And if – though most likely, _when_, – you fail, we'll be caught for sure!"

"I'll just tell them I can't remember," Ali replied, looking smug. "I mean, who knows how long they think it's been since Alice was here last? Enough time might have passed that she would have forgotten lots of things, so they can't blame me for that."

Wow, she really wanted to pull this thing off. Okay, I guess I'll just have to make my own efforts.

"Fine," I said, standing up to leave. "But I'm telling you this one last thing, Ali. If anyone so much as _hints_ that they suspect you of not being the real Alice who saved Underland, I'll go to the Queen myself and spill the whole thing to her. I don't care what the punishment is; I'll take whatever they dish out. These are good people who have treated us kindly, and if they want the truth, I'll give it to them, whether you like it or not."

For the second day in a row, I left Ali's room in a huff. Why was she doing this? Didn't she feel bad about lying to all these people? How could she keep doing this? In all the years I'd known her, I'd never seen Ali do anything devious, so why now?

"Laura?" called a male voice from behind me.

I turned and saw the Hatter standing there, a lovely white orchid in his hand. "Oh, no!" I gasped. "Please tell me you didn't hurt a poor flower from the garden!" I swear, blossoms back home were going to be safe from me forever, especially since I'd met talking flowers.

He giggled. "No, of course not," he replied, offering me the orchid. "Not all flowers in Underland talk. This, however, is a flower of my own creation. It's made of fabric."

Relieved, I accepted the flower. "Thank you," I whispered, touched by his kindness.

'_I shouldn't be doing this_,' part of me whispered. '_Remember, we're leaving soon. Nothing can happen between me and the Hatter_.'

But his sweetness was exactly what I needed after my 'chat' with Ali. Who could blame me for accepting one little flower when I was feeling down?

"Would you like to take a walk?" the Hatter asked. "Or I could show you the library. You look as though the Bandersnatch spent the morning sitting on you."

I had no idea what he was talking about, so I focused on what had made sense: his offer of a walk or the library. The library brought back bad memories about the history text I'd found, but maybe he could point out some good reading material, preferably something to take my mind off of this whole mess.

"The library would be lovely," I said, smiling gratefully at him.

He grinned and offered his arm with a bow. "My lady."

* * *

Peering through her keyhole, Alice Cunningham watched her best friend vanish down the hallway, arm-in-arm with the Mad Hatter. What they saw in one another was beyond her understanding.

"I mean, he's mad, she's sane," Ali whispered aloud. "He's got wacky hair, freaky eyes, and apparently a tea fetish, at least in the book. And Laura is…Laura."

Calm, sweet, caring Laura, who was like a sister to Ali, was slowly turning against her. After all the fun and tough times they'd faced together, their friendship was beginning to unravel, all because of this whole funky world that shouldn't exist. Worst of all, Laura was siding with the people of Underland over her closest friend!

'_Why would she do that_?' Ali wondered, pacing her room.

It wasn't as if what she was doing was actually wrong. Okay, well, it was wrong, in a way, but for the first time in Ali's life, people were paying attention to her, even treating her like a hero. She had always wanted attention, because her parents had been so stingy in giving theirs to her. Ali had grown up in an English household under the care of nannies (and eventually, private tutors), all of whom had provided her a firm, but still gentle hand in bringing her up.

When she was old enough to head off to college, she decided on America, a place that was the opposite of the stiff, formal life she's been brought up in. In a way, she'd copied what Alice Kingsley had done: left her old world behind to spread her wings. She was free to go out dancing, eat whatever she wanted and not have to worry about etiquette. The world was her oyster, and with the money her parents had put into a trust fund for her, Alice Cunningham was going to _live_.

In America, Ali had found her best, and thus far, only friend in her life: Laura Mason. They had been friends since the week they'd met, and been through good times and bad ones. And yet, even after all that, she would rather help strangers than her best friend!

'_Okay, so I'm taking advantage of a situation_,' Ali admitted to herself. '_I know it's wrong, but who turns down the chance to be treated like a hero_?'

Besides, no one was getting hurt. The people of Underland got to see their heroine one last time, and Ali finally got to be respected, loved, and admired for a week or so. '_After this, I'll happily settle back into my regular life, best friend in tow_,' she silently vowed. '_Nothing to it_.'

The problem was, she didn't know if Laura would be coming along or not. She was getting mighty friendly with the Hatter lately, but that was probably Ali's fault; she had driven Laura away with her actions, and now it was up to her to get her friend back.

And when she did, they'd go home together and try to forget this whole thing ever happened.

* * *

AN: Review, please!


	8. Love, Underland Style!

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: Major surprise in this chapter! I won't give it away; you'll just have to read for yourself. Let's just say that I doubt the Hatter is one for elaborate planning; he seems more like a direct, straight-forward kind of guy. Enjoy!

**Chapter 8: Love, Underland Style:**

A morning in the library was exactly what I needed, even if it was spent with the Mad Hatter, of all people. Still, he was very kind, considerate, and funny, so I guess it was time well-spent. He was also a great tour guide.

Because he'd lived in the castle for so long, the Hatter was able to point out things I'd never have discovered on my own. He showed me all kinds of different books, scrolls, and documents about the history of Underland, as well as the hundreds of different subjects the Queen kept in her library. Apparently she was very fond of reading, because there were more books here than I'd ever seen back home.

Besides the books, the Hatter took me to the far reaches of the immense room, pointing out little bits and pieces of artwork that had been carved into the stone and marble columns hidden in the library's far corners. He also told me the history of these hidden gems, like how they had come to be in those odd places. It was so fascinating, and he was an amazing storyteller.

When lunch time came, a serving maid brought us our meal, and I watched, intrigued, as the Hatter somehow managed to simultaneously babble on about knowing Time and eat his meal. He was actually pretty funny to watch and listen to; his hand movements, facial expressions, and the sound of his voice were quirky and very different from anything I'd known back home.

Before I knew it, I found myself quickly growing fond of his company. I knew this wasn't exactly a good thing, but the Hatter –or Tarrant, I suppose – was never demanding, or obnoxious. He was a cheerful man who liked making me laugh, and did everything he could to make me smile. Other than my father, no other man in my life had treated me so kindly.

"Will you tell me something?" I asked him as he drank a cup of tea. "I know this will probably get me in a lot of trouble, but…what happened to the Red Queen? After the war, I mean." I'd read part of the Underland history book, but not the ending.

He paused in drinking his tea, then set the cup down. I saw those green eyes become tinged with orange-red, and the odd orange-pink shading around his eyes darkened. The air around him seemed to grow tense, and I knew I'd hit a sore spot. Yup, _majorly_ stupid thing on my part.

"I'm sorry," I hastily apologized, looking at my plate. "I can say very stupid things sometimes. I didn't mean to upset you."

Gentle fingers slid under my chin, forcing me to look up. The Hatter's eyes were back to normal, as was the rest of him. To my surprise, there was also an apologetic expression on his pale white face, and a smile there as well, showing off a small gap between his two front teeth. How had I not noticed how pale he was, or how adorable his smile could be?

'_Probably because I was too busy being freaked out by the rest of his looks_,' I thought, smiling timidly back at him.

"I'm sorry," he said, pouring me a cup of tea. "I usually get upset whenever I talk about that unpleasantness. Iracebeth, or the Red Queen, was a tyrant who we were happy to defeat. She was banished to the Outlands, where her favorite henchman, Ilosovic Stayne, has joined her. The White Queen chained the two of them together, and decreed that they would both live together in banishment until the end of Underland. A fitting punishment, as they cannot stand the sight of one another."

He was grinning as he said that last part, and I had to laugh. It was a very fitting punishment.

As the last giggle left my mouth, I watched the Hatter take up the cup of tea he'd just poured me, and drop two lumps of sugar into it, as well as a bit of cream and a dollop of honey. He stirred it up and then handed it to me, an eager grin on his face.

"You seam the sort who likes a bit of everything in her tea," he said as I took the offering.

Now, I wasn't much of a tea person –at the White Queen's afternoon tea, I'd stuck to drinking a glass of milk, which went very well with the sweets that were served, and gotten away with it. I couldn't do that today, not while the Hatter was watching, so I accepted the cup, blew on the steaming hot liquid, and took a small slip.

"Oh, my," I muttered, blinking at the cup. "That's wonderful. What kind of tea is it?"

The Hatter grinned, obviously pleased. "It's my own creation. I call it, Mad Hatter Medley."

I giggled, which made him laugh, too. "That's very clever," I said, taking another sip. "And very good tea, too."

Fifteen minutes later, as the remnants of our lunch was taken away, the serving maid gave us some news. "The Queen has declared that tonight, dinner will be a picnic out in the gardens, and that a dance is to occur afterwards. There will be no need for fancy garb for tonight's festivities."

That was a relief –I didn't think I could stand another night of being primped and styled. The Hatter looked happy, too, though I couldn't understand why. On the other hand, he always looked happy, except for a few times, like on the balcony and when I'd mentioned the Queen's sister.

"Well, then, shall we continue with your tour of the library?" he asked, helping me up from my chair.

* * *

With Laura's hand tucked in his arm, Tarrant felt like all of Underland's marvels were right here, beside him. She was a marvel herself: a woman who appreciated a good hat, a good dance, and best of all, his tea-making skills.

And she was fun, too. The other ladies of the Queen's Court were lovely, to be sure, but they were very quiet, serious, and didn't laugh out loud very often. Laura seemed to appreciate humor and a good laugh; he had seen her snicker at the March Hare's antics, and at the Tweedle twins whenever they did something humorous. Even Chessur liked her, and that was a rarity.

Tarrant felt his blood grow hot at the thought of the Cheshire Cat. He did not like remembering how she had petted the top of the magical tabby's head, nor how comfortable the feline had looked in Laura's presence.

Quickly calming himself, he remembered the words his friend had given him: that something was wrong about Alice. It was true that Tarrant had sensed that something wasn't as it seemed with the Hero of Underland, but he couldn't quite point out what it was. Laura would know, but he dared not ask her for help for fear of upsetting her. He'd just have to do it himself.

For a few hours, Tarrant busied himself entertaining Laura with the marvels of the White Queen's library. There were many little stories to be told about the fantastic room, and he made sure to tell as many of them as he could to his audience's eager ears. She listened, laughed, and looked intrigued at all the right moments, which gave him the greatest joy he'd ever felt.

A pity the day could not last forever.

"Oh, dear, look at the time!" Laura exclaimed, looking out at the setting sun. "I have to get ready for the picnic. Will you excuse me?"

"Of course," he said, gently patting her hand. "I'll take you to your rooms at once."

He left Laura at her quarters, and started towards his own. When he was halfway there, however, he stopped. The picnic was going to be outdoors and in the beauty that was an Underland evening. It would be the perfect time to carry out his plan to keep sweet Laura with him in Underland for good.

* * *

Since 'fancy' attire wasn't necessary for a picnic, I chose to wear a sea-green dress that wouldn't show grass stains. Grass stains were inevitable at a picnic, and I didn't want to risk looking silly in front of the Queen. With my hair pulled up in a loose braid and tied with a ribbon that matched my dress, I was set to go.

A maid was waiting to escort me to dinner, and it would figure that I'd arrive at the grassy field the same time Ali did. She was charming in a yellow dress, and clearly didn't think about the possibility of getting dirty. I, however, hadn't been sure of the set up, and voted for caution over fashion.

It turned out to be not as bad as I thought it would be. There were immense square sheets laid out for clusters of picnickers to sit on and eat, or just to sit on and chat. Most of the people were sitting and eating, or walking from one gathering to another, but the Queen's exclusive setting was isolated from the others, and sat on top of a small knoll so that it could be easily be found. It was here that I arrived the same time as Ali.

I put on a smile that was only half-fake, because I really was a glad to see her, if only a little bit. We both nodded and smiled a little at each other, then went to take places on the sheet with the Queen.

However, something different had apparently been planned for me tonight.

"Ahem," someone coughed from behind me. I turned and saw the Hatter standing there, a basket in hand and a sheet over his arm. "My lady, would you join me? I know a splendid place in the gardens where we can eat, if you'd like."

For the first time today, my spirits sank. A picnic dinner, alone, with the Hatter was not a good idea. I was ready to say 'no,' but the Queen smiled at me and nodded.

"The gardens are lovely at night," she said, trying to assure me it was alright for us to go off by ourselves. "If the area wasn't so small, we'd all be picnicking there instead of in this field. Go on; I will send someone for you when the dance starts."

I didn't get a chance to protest, because the Hatter took my right hand and dragged me away from the field and those gathering there. Ali made as though to follow, but the Queen put a hand on her arm, stopping her. Well, it was nice to know that my best friend still worried about me.

For a few minutes, the Hatter dragged me along in silence, leading me behind a hedge and around a few twists and turns in the garden until we arrived at a small glade with a pond. By now, a full moon was shining down on us, and as the Hatter released me to spread out the blanket for us to sit on, I watched as small fireflies came out of the grasses and began to dance and swirl above the water.

"There, finished," the Hatter declared with a grin. "Come sit down and eat, before the food gets cold."

I wanted to say no and go back to the others, but I had no idea how to get back. Plus, I was hungry, so I figured I'd stay long enough to eat. Surely the dancing would start soon? Maybe eating would pass the time quicker.

Reluctantly, I sat, my hands clasped in my lap as he dug around inside the basket for our meal, producing cold roasted chicken, vegetable salads, fingerling sandwiches, and last of all, a stack of small cherry pastries. There was also dinnerware, but as I reached for a plate so I could help myself, the Hatter prepared one for me. By the time he was done, the plate looked as though it had been done by a professional caterer.

"There you are," he said, presenting it to me with a slight bow. "I hope you like it. The salads are quite delicious."

I smiled a little in thanks, and took a bite of the salad. The first was a regular garden salad, but the second was cucumber, tomato, and some kind of dressing that made each crunchy bite incredible. The flavor seemed to enhance my appetite, because the next thing I knew, I'd eaten everything on the plate, which seemed to please the Hatter immensely.

While I'd been eating, he had managed to consume his own meal, and when we finished, he tucked the dirty dishes and leftover food back inside the basket. As soon as everything was put away, I began to feel uncomfortable. The Hatter was giving me this intense look that I'd never seen on his face before, and it was very unnerving.

"I have something for you," he suddenly blurt out, a hand reaching into his coat.

He put a miniature top hat that fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. As I looked closer at it, I realized that it was a perfect replica of the one the Hatter currently wore on his head.

"It's charming," I said, turning it over. As I looked closer, I realized it was actually a paper or cardboard box, crafted into the shape of his hat.

"Open it," he insisted, smiling.

Gripping the top and brim of the hat firmly, I gently pulled them both apart. It opened smoothly and easily, and as I looked inside, I almost fainted. There, nestled in the black velvet box, was a ring.

I almost swallowed my tongue. It was a very pretty diamond carved in the shape of a star, set in a silver-and-gold band. It was an engagement ring, it had to be. What other ring did a man give a woman in a romantic setting like this?

"Uh…" was all I could say.

"I was going to wait for tomorrow night, when there were fireworks to make it more lovely outside, but I thought the sooner, the better," the Hatter cheerfully said, scooting closer to me. "Do you like it, Laura?"

Swallowing, I tried to get my bearings. "Um, yes, it's a lovely ring," I said, smiling nervously. "Would you…mind telling me what it's for?"

Inside, I was praying that I was mistaken, and that a beautiful ring meant something else in Underland.

He giggled. "It's an engagement ring. I want you to stay with me here in Underland…as my wife."

* * *

I think I might have passed out, because the next thing I knew, I was waking up. The Hatter was hovering over me, his face full of concern and alarm as he dabbed a damp cloth on my face.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're awake," he said, clutching my right hand gently, but tightly, as though he feared I'd vanish like smoke. "Are you alright?"

Honestly, I wasn't sure. Had I dreamed the whole thing? "I think so," I softly replied. "I think I dreamed that you'd asked me to marry you."

The Hatter smiled. "Oh, it wasn't a dream. I _did_ ask you to marry me."

Still lying on the ground, I stared up at him. "But _why_?" I blurted out, confused and more than a little alarmed. "I mean, you don't even know me. Why would you propose to a girl you've barely known a few days?"

One orange-speckled hand reached up to stroke my cheek. The touch was soft, like a feather, and as those fingers gently stroked my cheek, I could see his face soften in the moonlight.

"Because I love you," he whispered. "You are kind, you treat those around you with kindness and respect, and you are the loveliest creature in all of Underland. In short, you are a marvelous girl."

This was too much for me. I'd never had a man fall for me before, much less ask me to marry him, but here he was; a crazy hatter with mercury poisoning and orange hair. The green eyes were kind of starting to grow on me, but honestly, how could he expect to fall for a girl he barely knew?

"I…I…I have to think about this," I stuttered, trying to pull away from him. "This is…too quick for me, too fast. I need to-"

And then the strangest, most incredible thing happened: he kissed me.

I had been kissed few times in my life, but even if I'd kissed a thousand guys, the Hatter's kiss would have beaten them all. A kiss from him was like the perfect cup of tea: sweet, warm, comforting, and utterly delightful.

The kiss wasn't long, but it seemed like an eternity. When he pulled away, I had to force myself through the sea of swirling emotions as I tried to think clearly. And I couldn't do that while I was near him.

In the distance, I could hear music playing, and knew that the dancing had started. Hopefully, Ali would be easy to find; I desperately needed her help with this.

"I have to go," I said, worming my way out from under the Hatter. "There's something I have to do…"

I didn't give him a chance to respond, because I was running through the hedge, trying to find my way back to the others.

* * *

'_Well, that hadn't gone as expected_,' Tarrant thought, feeling slightly puzzled as he watched her run off. '_Perhaps I shouldn't have been so forward_.'

Still, it had been the only way to provide Laura with a reason to stay in Underland. But it wasn't only for her; it was for him, too. He truly did love her, and for all the reasons he had given, plus many more. He felt _good_ when he was in her company, better than he'd felt since the day the Jabberwocky had attacked his clan's gathering. He hadn't been _right_ since that day, the trauma cutting so close to the bone that it still left him shivering whenever he thought about it.

But somehow, Laura's presence was like a healing balm to his soul, and his heart. She made him feel lighter, almost like he could fudderwhacken in midair, which was something he hadn't felt in ages.

'_I need her, almost as much as she needs me_.'

The poor girl didn't even know that there was something wrong in her life. Tarrant saw it, and though he didn't know what that 'wrongness' was, it was there. It might even have something to do with Alice, whom he was beginning to have some doubts about.

Sighing, Tarrant gathered the remnants of the picnic and headed inside. He knew he would not see her the rest of the night –he'd alarmed her too much with his proposal. Still, she hadn't said 'no' to him, so that was a good thing, wasn't it?

* * *

Breathing heavily, I ran back towards the fields where the picnic had taken place, focused on the music so I could find my way. Thankfully, I quickly found the stone courtyard where the evening's dance was taking place. The White Queen was perched on her silver throne under a small white tent, and Ali was seated beside her, looking anxious. Heaving a sigh of relief, I made my way up to my best friend and tugged on her sleeve.

"I need to talk to you," I hissed. "It's urgent."

Ali looked at me in alarm. "Are you okay?" she whispered. "The Hatter didn't try anything, did he?"

I curtseyed to the Queen. "Majesty, with your permission, I would like to speak to the Lady Alice privately, if I may. It is an important personal matter, and I very much need her advice."

The Queen nodded her consent, and quicker than you could blink, the two of us were walking to my room, arm-in-arm. As soon as the door was locked behind us, Ali was on me like a shot.

"Okay, spill. What happened? I swear, if the Hatter did anything to you, I'll-"

"He asked me to _marry_ him!" I blurted out.

Ali stared at me. "You're joking. The Mad Hatter asked you to marry him? What did you say?"

I told her everything that happened, though she did have to "snap me out of it" when I mentioned the kiss. Ali looked about as alarmed as I felt, but for some reason, she looked disgusted.

"You can't marry him," she declared. "He's nuttier than a fruit cake, and looks like...well, nothing we've ever seen. I mean, do you even _like_ the man?"

Okay, I had to admit, he was growing on me, and if I had a lot more time to spend with him, I might actually care for the Hatter the way he did for me. But this was too much, too soon. You can't fall for a person in less than a week….could you?

"Oh, no, don't even say it," Ali said, scowling at me. "I can see it on your face. You like him! Laura, we won't even be here in two days! The morning after the fireworks, we go home, and you'll never see him again."

That sort of brought me down. I would miss seeing – what was his name? Tarrant? – when Ali and I went back home. He brought a sort of fun chaos to my life, and I'd miss having that bit of unpredictability happen every day. Besides, he was fun to be around.

'_But I have to go back_,' I reasoned while nodding at Ali's words. '_I don't belong here, I belong back home, with my family and friends_.'

So why did it feel like I was making the wrong choice by leaving?

* * *

Mirana had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. It might have something to do with the fact that Tarrant had not attended the dance, nor had Laura. Alice gave the young woman's excuses, saying that Laura had eaten far too much at the picnic, and had gone to bed. It was a perfectly good excuse, which Mirana had accepted. But for Tarrant to not attend? That was unusual.

"Or maybe it isn't," she murmured as she brushed out her hair.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the great fighter and hat maker, Tarrant Hightopp, had fallen in love with the Lady Laura. Mirana was, personally, quite thrilled for her loyal subject; he deserved to be happy, as he hadn't been so since the day of the Jabberwocky's first dreaded attack.

But still, something did not feel right. She didn't know what it was, and dearly wished the Blue Caterpillar were still here –she desperately needed his advice.

"Majesty?" a maid called through the door. "The Cheshire Cat wishes to speak with you. He claims it is important."

Mirana quickly set her brush down on her vanity and called for the Cat to enter.

He appeared in a swirl of vapor, and gave her a nod. "Majesty," he said. "I will not stay long, but I wish to give you a word of warning, one that concerns the Lady Alice." She nodded for him to continue. "It might be best for you to consult the Oraculum and see what it holds. From there, you may see what must be done."

With that, he vanished, leaving the White Queen to her thoughts. It had been a long time since she'd looked at the sacred scroll; perhaps it would be a good idea to take a peek at it tomorrow morning, once she was rested. If it foretold of trouble, she would need all the strength she could get.

* * *

AN: Uh, oh! Looks like the bubble's about to burst! And I hope everyone liked my surprise. Here's another one for you: I'm doing a sequel for this story! That's right, this story is almost over; just one chapter left, and then the sequel, which will have much more action and excitement, so no one can risk getting bored there. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	9. Out in the Open

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, probably because it's the last one of the story. But fear not! Remember, there will be a sequel, but since I'm heading on vacation tomorrow, it won't be posted for a week or two, at most. Sorry, but that's just how things are. Thanks to everyone who's been reading, and I'll see you all at the sequel!

**Chapter 9: Out in the Open**:

After Ali had left to return to the dance (and to give my excuses for not being there), I holed up in my room and laid down in bed, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do now. Obviously, marriage to the Hatter was not an option. I'd have to turn him down, explain that although I was flattered by his interest, I was leaving soon, and could not accept it.

'_That should work_,' I reasoned out. '_It's straight to the point, and it's quite true. I'm sure he'll understand_.'

But would he really? He'd said he loved me, and no man had ever said that to me before –or at least, not in that way. My male family members loved me, but this was the first time a man was _in_ love with me. Wouldn't it figure that the one man to propose to me was from a fairy land come true?

Needless to say, I didn't sleep well, if at all, and spent a good part of the morning making up for it. Thus, it was after noon when I woke up, still slightly groggy, but in relatively one piece. I had a light lunch that a maid brought me, and was about to get dressed when that same maid came bustling in, a white gown in her arms.

"My lady, the Queen wishes to see you and Lady Alice at once," she said. "You are to wear this."

I had never worn white the whole time I'd been in Underland, and wondered what was going on. I didn't argue, though, since it'd been sent by the Queen, and because I didn't have the time.

I was dressed quickly, and followed the maid to a place I'd never been to before: the Queen's private quarters. Outside the doors stood the White Rabbit, who bowed and opened an immense white wooden door for me. Ali, clad like I was in white, was already inside, standing before a beautiful throne made of a pale golden wood, with a white marble table beside it. On the throne sat the Queen, clad in her glorious white gown, and with a serious look on her face.

"Laura, welcome," she said as she nodded to me. "Now, there is something I must discuss with the two of you, as it is a matter of great importance and urgency."

From the folds of her gown, she produced a scroll. "This is the Oraculum, a record of all the days of Underland, from the beginning to the end. I have read through it to this very day, which I have not done in many years, and discovered something I had not expected."

She unrolled it to a certain point, and showed it to us. It was me and Ali, the two of us in her parents' attic, touching the envelope that brought us here. Below it was written: The Arrival of Laura Mason and Alice _Cunningham_.

I could only think of one word: damn. The Queen knew who we were, and we were in huge trouble.

"That is not all," the Queen continued, unrolling the scroll even more.

The images that followed made me blush; they showed the different times the Hatter and I had been alone together, and of his marriage proposal. I winced and looked away at that point, only to find Ali staring coldly at the magic paper.

"At this point," the Queen said, rolling up the scroll, "I would very much appreciate an explanation."

Beside me, Ali was a silent statue; there would be no answers coming from her. Knowing my friend, she was probably thinking of a way to talk us out of this, but I knew it wouldn't work. I sighed. '_I guess it's up to me, now_.'

"Majesty," I said, stepping forward and falling to my knees before her. "I admit the truth to you." Behind me, I felt Ali stiffen. "My friend is not Alice Kingsley, Slayer of the Jabberwocky and Hero of Underland. She is Alice Cunningham, many-times-great-granddaughter of Alice Kingsley, who died long ago in a distant land."

I swallowed hard and tried to gather my courage. "I apologize for the way we have taken advantage of your hospitality and your kindness towards us. I tried to convince Ali – which is her nickname, as she dislikes being called Alice – to tell the truth of her identity, but failed. She persuaded me that carrying off the charade wouldn't hurt anyone, as you would have your long-lost hero and we would leave immediately after the celebrations. However, I did not feel right about it, so I warned her that should anyone suspect the truth about her, I would admit everything and accept the consequences, which I shall."

Taking in a deep breath, I slowly let it out. "It was wrong of me to allow this to go on for so long. I only hope you can forgive me, and forgive Ali, for what we have both done. I plead for mercy and forgiveness, Majesty, though we deserve little of these."

The silence that followed deafening. I could feel Ali becoming tense behind me, but I pushed her out of my mind. This was her fault, and now we had to face the consequences of our actions. After all, I was guilty, too.

Gentle fingers slid under my chin and lifted my face up. Instead of finding a face full of anger and hurt, I saw brown eyes filled with kindness, and a small smile on those unusually red lips.

"I am ready to show mercy to you," the Queen softly replied. "I know you to be a good, honest soul, Laura, for you have shown it to those around you."

Then her face hardened, and I saw the royal mask slip into place. Now she was going to act the queen and ruler she was, and she was going to say something Ali and I might not like.

"However, a punishment must be given in order to maintain the balance of justice in Underland," she declared, voice ringing throughout the room. "Therefore, I must dispense a punishment worthy of the crime."

I bowed my head again. "I understand, Majesty," I whispered. "We are ready to accept it."

The Queen shifted in her seat, and I sense that she was sitting straighter than she had before. "The punishment for you, Laura, is this: Although I know you wish to return to your realm, it is not in my power to do so."

My head began to swim. I couldn't go home? Why not? What was the point in my staying?

But the White Queen wasn't finished. "The Oraculum has shown me that your fate lies here in Underland, and therefore, you must remain here. It is not only for the good of my people, but also for you."

Despair hit me with such force that if I hadn't already been kneeling, I'd have fallen to the floor. I had to stay here? For how long? She hadn't been specific, but maybe it would only be for a little while?

"Alice," the Queen intoned, "The punishment for you is to return home without your companion. You will never again enter Underland under your own power, or for your own gain. Only an accidental fall through a Rabbit Hole or the need of another may call you here."

I heard her rise from her chair, and felt the Queen's hand slip under my right arm. "Come, we must inform the Court of this," she said, her other hand tilting my head upwards.

As we made our way through the hall, the Queen dragging me behind her and Ali trailing us both, I tried to think of what this would mean. Me, stuck here in Underland? What would I do here? Would I be put to work in the kitchens of Marmoreal, or sent elsewhere in the kingdom to carry out the Queen's orders? She said I had a purpose, so did she have something particular in mind for me to do?

'_At least you'll have friends, if they still want you_,' reminded a small voice in the back of my head. '_What about the Cheshire Cat, and the Hatter_? _I'm sure they'll be thrilled you'll be staying_.'

But would they still like me? I wasn't so sure. They might feel betrayed and angry, and then I'll be stuck in a strange world with people who wanted me tossed out like garbage.

By now, we'd reached the throne room, which was filled with courtiers. To the side stood the March Hare, Mallmkun the Dormouse, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the White Rabbit. Above them hovered the Cheshire Cat. To my surprise, he winked at me and gave me a friendly nod. I was beginning to wonder where the Hatter was, when I felt someone behind me, and it wasn't Ali.

Turning my head, I almost jumped when I saw the Hatter, a concerned look on his face. I gave him a strained smile as I was pulled before the throne, Ali to my left, and the Hatter behind my right shoulder, a silent pillar of support. Somehow, I doubted that he'd be there in a few minutes.

As the room grew quiet, I hung my head down, a feeling of great shame flooding though me. A hand gripped my shoulder, causing me to turn. It was the Hatter, and he was offering me the strangest handkerchief I'd ever seen: white, covered in a rainbow of embroidery designs. Well, I _think_ it was white; it was hard to see the original color underneath all the patterns.

"Eyes like yours shouldn't have tears," he whispered, smiling affectionately at me.

I couldn't resist smiling back as I took the offering and quickly used it to dry my face. I hadn't even known I was crying until now. "Thank you," I whispered, offering it back to him.

The Hatter waved his hand at me. "Keep it," he said. "I have many more, and it seems you have use for it."

Again I thanked him, and clutched the lovely square in my hands as the Queen began to speak.

* * *

As the Queen announced the whole thing to the Court, Ali stood and fumed. What was the point in all this? She had already decided on the punishment for both her and Laura, so why was she making a spectacle of them and their charade? Was she trying to make a point?

'_If she is, what's the point in that_?' Ali wondered. '_I mean, it's not like any of these people are going to disobey the Queen like we have. They all love her too much_.'

Inside, she was both furious and frightened. She was angry that Laura had spilled the whole thing out, that her friend had turned on her and chosen to simper and beg for forgiveness from the Queen instead of standing proudly and admitting that they'd done nothing wrong.

'_Which we haven't, really_,' Ali thought as the Court began to look somewhere between shocked, angry, and disgusted.

So they'd attended a few dances, gotten free room and board, and some nice clothes. So what? If Laura hadn't said anything, or if the Cheshire Cat hadn't been so nosy, no one would have known the difference.

"And now I ask if these two ladies have anything to say before I send Ali back to her world," the Queen said, looking at them.

Ali shook her head, knowing that if she said anything, she'd only make things worse. Laura, of course, curtseyed and went to stand before the Queen and Court, twisting a funky-looking handkerchief in her hands. Where had she gotten that ridiculous thing?

Glancing over, she saw the Hatter giving Laura a look of support. Well, duh, of course that's where the handkerchief came from! Ali still didn't get the whole attraction between her friend and the wacky hat maker, nor did she support it. She couldn't imagine what things would be like for her poor friend, stuck here with _him_ while Ali went home.

Her stomach clenched at the idea of going home without Laura. What would she say to her friend's parents, not to mention her own? How would she explain Laura's disappearance to everyone? That Laura went for a walk in the woods and never came back? People would think the worst about Ali and her family, and then what would happen?

Laura was speaking. "I would like to apologize to everyone for the horrible way we have used and betrayed you," she said, soft voice carrying across the room. "Ali was wrong for lying to everyone, and I am ashamed to have taken part in this as well. There is no excuse for what I did, and I truly wish I had said something long before now."

She swallowed hard and gripped the handkerchief tighter. "As my friend leaves for our home, I resign myself to my fate as a citizen of Underland, for however long I am here. Through hard and honest work, I hope to one day earn back the trust that I have broken. Thank you."

Laura curtseyed to everyone and quietly resumed the spot where she had stood. The Queen cast Ali a questioning look, asking once again if she had anything to say, and again, Ali shook her head. She had nothing to say to the people of Underland.

She did, however, have something to say to Laura.

* * *

Ali and I had only a few minutes to talk before she was sent home. I'd thought that she would have a few fond words of farewell, but apparently, I was wrong.

"How could you rat us out like this?" she hissed, pacing the small room where we had been led to for our goodbyes. "If you'd just kept quiet or lied, we would _both_ be going home. How am I going to explain this to your parents and to mine? What about the police? They'll think I killed you or something! What if there's an investigation?"

"The Queen never said how long I'll be here," I said, somehow eerily calm. The Hatter's handkerchief was in my hands, and it was starting to look pretty beat up. "If or when I go home, I'll tell people that I was kidnapped and drugged by strangers, and that I don't remember much. That'll get you off the hook."

Ali threw her hands up in the air. "Yeah, that's just dandy, except for the fact that I'm going home without my best friend!"

I began rubbing my temples. She was making this more and more difficult, and we didn't have much time left together. "Ali, please don't make this harder than it already is," I pleaded. "Just hurry and give me a hug before someone comes to get us."

She stopped and looked at me for a long moment before rushing to squeeze the life out of me. "Oh, god, Laura," Ali gasped into my ear. "How are you going to be able to stand it here?"

"I'll manage," I whispered back. "I'll miss you like hell, though."

That, at least, got a watery chuckle out of her. "If the Queen lets you, will you write and let me know how you're doing?" she asked, pulling back. "Promise to write, if you can."

Faint footsteps were approaching, and I knew our time was up. "I promise," I swore, just as the door opened.

To our surprise, the Hatter walked in, a solemn expression on his normally cheerful face. "It's time," he said.

Ali and I both fought back tears as we left the small space and returned to the throne room. The Queen stood there, a small crystal vial of purple liquid in her hands. When we both stood before her, the Queen offered the vial to Ali.

"This is Jabberwocky blood, the same that took Alice Kingsley back to her realm," the Queen explained. "I have mixed it with several other ingredients so that you may return to the right time and place."

Ali accepted the vial and looked at her in concern. "So…how does time pass here?" she asked. "How will it affect Laura?"

The White Queen smiled. "Time is relative here. It can be the same day, or yesterday, or tomorrow. Time is what you make of it, Alice. And you should be proud of the name you bear, for it is a great and noble one."

Ali nodded. "Thank you, Majesty, for your kindness," she whispered. "It's been a very strange and unusual experience. I'll never forget it."

She cast one long look at me, opened the vial, and drank. "I'll keep my eyes open, Laura!" Ali called as she began to fade from view. "Don't forget about home!"

Then she was gone. And a second later, I burst into tears.

I couldn't help it. My best friend was gone, and I was stuck in Underland, where I wasn't sure if I would be welcome. How could they do this to me, all because of a couple pictures on a slip of paper? Why not just invite me back later, when they knew I'd be of use to them? What was the point in my staying here like this?

Someone touched my shoulder. Wiping my eyes, I looked up into neon green eyes that were giving me the kindest look I had ever seen. "Laura?" he whispered as he offered me a hug.

Touched by his concern, I let him put his arms around me. As I put my head on his shoulder, I couldn't help but think what a strange, gentle man he was, even if he was a bit mad.

"Let it be known that the Lady Laura is to be treated with the same kindness and respect with which she gave the flowers in the Royal Garden, as well as the Cheshire Cat and our royal hatter, Tarrant Hightopp," the Queen declared. "She will be given rooms near my own, and is to be considered a guest here in Underland until the day she decides to become one of our citizens for good."

To my surprise, the entire court curtseyed and looked perfectly happy to follow the Queen's orders. As I wondered why this was, the Hatter grinned and looked over at me.

"They like you," he said, releasing me from our hug so he could take my hand. "Because you have shown kindness, respect and honor, they know you to be a good person worthy of the Queen's favor. You have been accepted as one of the White Queen's Court." I blushed as he gently squeezed my fingers. "Now, you should follow that nice woman over there. She will take you to your new rooms. I will come find you after you've settled in."

Nodding, I turned and followed the court lady waiting for me, my hands still absently clutching his eccentrically stitched handkerchief.

* * *

She was staying! Laura was staying, and Tarrant felt like the happiest man in Underland. He didn't know how long she would be here, but the longer she stayed, the greater the chance of him finally wooing her into marrying him. Then, she would stay here for good.

Straightening his tie, Tarrant began to think. Though time was once again on his side, there was still much to do.

* * *

AN: That's the end! The sequel will be up in a couple weeks, at most, and I can only hope that it meets with everyone's expectations. Thanks so much to all who have read and/or reviewed! See you in Wonderland soon!


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